New HAL helicopter facility to speed up LUH production
An LUH from HAL conducts high-altitude testing in Ladakh. (Photo: HAL)
The Indian military continues to wait for new light helicopters, though a new HAL production facility will begin to solve the capability gap.
The launch of a Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) 615-acre facility in Tumakaru, 70km from present facilities in Bangalore, will plug a capacity gap for the considerably delayed Light Utility Helicopter (LUH).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new helicopter factory on 6 February, with a total requirement of around 400 LUHs for the army and air force.
The Tumakuru factory will be a ‘one-stop solution for all helicopter requirements,’ according to an MoD statement.
A helipad, final assembly and structural assembly hangars, air traffic control and flight facilities will all exist, even though HAL is yet to receive an order
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