HAL Light Utility Helicopter

The HAL Light Utility Helicopter is an Indian utility helicopter designed and developed by the Rotary Wing Research and Design Center of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for civil and military use. It is meant to replace the licence-built Cheetah and Chetak helicopters, which HAL built from the French Lama and Alouette III, in Indian Army and Air Force service. It is a single-engine machine of about three tonnes, powered by a Safran Ardiden 1U turboshaft engine, and the government approved its design and development in February 2009. The first prototype flew on 6 September 2016, a second followed on 22 May 2017 and a third on 14 December 2018, and initial operational clearance for production came in early 2020.