The DG flew in LUH few days back I think.
The way I read the navy article is that the ALH will be for their NUH role aka embarking on ships but the LUH will be for their ab-intio flight training and limited shore based duties. The navy’s flight school currently has chetaks for all their rotary wing pilots to solo on but the ALH is likely only allowed to be operated in as a multi pilot so the LUH could likely meet this need and would be a neat 2 in one solution for HAL to meet the IN’s entire helicopter pipeline requirements (IMRH/DBMRH coming later too)So did some digging, came across this article
" To meet its long-pending requirement of Naval Utility Helicopters (NUH), the Navy is looking to procure variants of the indigenous Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) modified for ship-based operations, according to defence sources. "
Navy to get variants of indigenous helicopters
HAL is preparing a detailed project report on the configuration and overall cost, according to defence sourceswww.thehindu.com
Okay so not the exact words, so was tricky to track.
This is the article.
Indian Coast Guard DG VS Pathania undertakes maiden sorties of 45 minutes in the indigenous light utility helicopter in Bengaluru
Indian Coast Guard DG VS Pathania undertakes maiden sorties of 45 minutes in the indigenous light utility helicopter in Bengaluruwww.freepressjournal.in
We will have to wait and see. Couldn't find anything else.The way I read the navy article is that the ALH will be for their NUH role aka embarking on ships but the LUH will be for their ab-intio flight training and limited shore based duties. The navy’s flight school currently has chetaks for all their rotary wing pilots to solo on but the ALH is likely only allowed to be operated in as a multi pilot so the LUH could likely meet this need and would be a neat 2 in one solution for HAL to meet the IN’s entire helicopter pipeline requirements (IMRH/DBMRH coming later too)
not sure how the LUH fits into the ICG though considering that the ICG’s pilots I believe all do their basic training at the navy schools
Most ICG ships that have hangers are designed to house the ALH anyway.We will have to wait and see. Couldn't find anything else.
An LUH might be an easy fit in the hangers, but apart from transport/SAR role, I don't know.
An unmanned Helicopter based on LUH would have been a better idea however.
There's certainly a requirement. My preference for this type of conversion purely lies in the success of conversion of Bell 407 airframe to a UAV by Americans. Single engine means lower operational costs, longer mission times and less worries about safety as it's unmanned.Most ICG ships that have hangers are designed to house the ALH anyway.
converting a manned aircraft to unmanned is very doable especially with the all digital FCS of the LUH but it’s suboptimal because it wasn’t designed to be unmanned from the outset. If there’s a pressing need for this from the IN/ICG then HAL can come up with a clean sheet product but there doesn’t seem to be a huge demand from this even from the richest navies in the world. Maybe the shipborne role is just too dynamic for unmanned systems as of today
@IndiaCoastGuard conducted the 20th National Maritime Search and Rescue #NMSAR Board meeting at #Kevadia, #Gujarat today. The apex level meeting was chaired by DG VS Pathania, PTM,TM, #DGICG, Chairman #NMSAR Board. NMSAR Board comprising 31 members agency. pic.twitter.com/RWbqe6CoJN
— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) November 18, 2022