The Army will start phasing out the first lot of the vintage Cheetah and Chetak helicopters from 2027 onwards on completion of their Total Technical Life (TTL) while it looks to induct the indigenous Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) in numbers to replace them, according to defence sources. The armed forces have been attempting to replace the Cheetah and Chetaks for well over a decade.
In November 2021, the Defence Acquisition Council approved the procurement of 12 Limited Series Production (LSP) variants of the LUH at a cost of around ₹1,500 crore, six each for the Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF), designed and developed by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) but has been delayed due to issues with the auto-pilot.
“The issue with the auto-pilot of the LUH has been addressed and the trials by the HAL have commenced. The six LSP LUH are expected to be delivered to the Army between December 2024 and June 2025. The bigger contract for LUH is expected to be concluded by January 2024 and deliveries expected to begin by 2026 onwards,” a defence source with knowledge of the matter said. In the interim, the Army is also looking to lease 20 utility helicopters to address the shortage.
