India’s Indigenous LUH Nears Certification Ahead of Initial Military Induction — HAL is preparing to introduce its domestically developed Light Utility Helicopter into military service, with an initial production batch of 12 aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2027–28. The Army and Air Force are expected to receive six helicopters each. Certification remains a key milestone, with testing focused on safety and performance across hot, dusty and high-altitude conditions. Recent development work includes refining autorotation characteristics and incorporating automatic flight controls to improve stability and reduce pilot demands. The LUH is designed to replace the armed forces’ ageing Cheetah and Chetak fleets and support reconnaissance, casualty evacuation, troop movement, logistics and disaster relief. Production will take place at HAL’s Tumkur plant, supporting India’s wider push for aerospace self-reliance. The services have a combined planned requirement of 187 helicopters.
