HAL Light Observation Helicopter

HAL · India · first flew 2016 · helicopter

A single-engined Indian light observation and utility helicopter developed to replace ageing Cheetah and Chetak fleets.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, rotary
E — Engines	1 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	10.4 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Single Shakti turboshaft in a three-tonne class hull
Slim glazed observation cockpit
Skid undercarriage and slender tail boom

A compact single-engined helicopter with a heavily glazed nose, skid gear and a slim tail boom — smaller and lighter than the twin-engined Dhruv, and more modern-looking than the Alouette-derived Chetak.

Specifications

The HAL Light Observation Helicopter has a length of 10.4 m (34 ft).
It has a wingspan of 11.4 m (37 ft).
Its maximum speed is 240 km/h (149 mph).
Typical crew: 1 or 2 pilots.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

HAL's Rotary Wing Research and Design Centre developed the three-tonne Light Observation Helicopter, closely linked to the Light Utility Helicopter, around a single Shakti turboshaft. Long in gestation from the 2000s, the prototype achieved its first flight in 2016.

Variants

The programme is closely intertwined with the HAL Light Utility Helicopter, from which the observation configuration is derived, with military reconnaissance and civil utility fits envisaged.

Where you'll see it

The type is intended for the Indian Army and Air Force reconnaissance role and has no UK service; its class is comparable to light observation types the British forces have historically operated such as the Gazelle.

Related aircraft

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