BY : Ravi Sharma For THE HINDU

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has asked the Defence Ministry to consider its Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) for use by the Army and the Air Force. The two wings are planning to acquire modern helicopters that can perform at high altitude.

Highly placed sources told The Hindu that the HAL had, during a recent meeting of the Service Capital Acquisition Plan Categorisation Committee, projected the possibility of the LOH meeting their needs.

If so, the LOH could compete with leading designers/manufacturers such as Eurocopter, Bell Helicopter, Italy’s Agusta and Russia’s Kamov, companies that have replied to the new request for information (RFI) by the Ministry.

Though the LOH will bring substantial work to HAL, it could, since the helicopter is still only on the drawing board, further impede an already delayed acquisition process.
Initial delay

The initial delay in the acquisition occurred in December after the government scrapped the $600 million tender that Eurocopter — a division of the Franco-Italian-German European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) — had won to supply 197 helicopters to the Army.

The HAL has now chosen to bid for the tender despite stating just a few months ago that their “plate was full” because of their Advanced Light Helicopter and nascent Light Combat Helicopter projects.

Senior officials in HAL told The Hindu that Chandigarh, which is home to an air force base where helicopters are overhauled, will be able to provide a ready pool of experienced airmen, warrant officers and others to service the new division.

They are confident that they can come up with an LOH within four years. They claim that the LOH will be designed to lift 215 kg in addition to crew and fuel at a high altitude (six km). Helicopters offered by Bell and Eurocopter had been able to lift a maximum of only 51 kg. HAL’s re-engineered/upgraded Cheetah with the Shakti engine lifted loads up to 123 kg during the same trials, they said.

The HAL offer came after the Army sought to acquire a helicopter that, among other qualities, could lift a mission payload of 200 kg at high altitude. But with no helicopter in the world capable of meeting this specification, the Army had to lower its requirement to 50 kg.

While the earlier tender which EADS won entailed the manufacturing of 60 helicopters in France and 137 in India under licence build, the present tender is to go up to 317, with 120 meant for the Air Force.

The helicopters are meant to replace the French origin Cheetahs and Chetaks (195 in the Army and 124 in the Air Force) that have been in service for well over 40 years. They will be used for reconnaissance and dropping supplies.