Greenfield helicopter plant on 615 acres was designed to meet the nation's helicopter needs.
In a move to boost India's defence sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate a Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)'s biggest helicopter factory in Karnataka's Tumakuru district today, i.e.February 6. Defence minister Rajnath Singh and other senior officials of the defence ministry will be attending the inauguration ceremony.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)'s helicopter factory - known as the ‘Greenfield Helicopter Factory’ - is India’s largest helicopter manufacturing facility, according to a government release. It is said to enable the country to meet its requirement of helicopters without import and will also boost Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ in helicopter design, development, and manufacture. The following is a list of helicopters manufactured by HAL.
1. HAL Prachand
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The Prachand, also known as Light Combat Helicopters (LCH), manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), is currently under service with the Indian Armed Forces. As the world's only attack helicopter capable of taking off and landing from five kilometres high while carrying large weaponry and fuel loads, it makes the news. Troops stationed in remote locations like Siachen and Kargil will find the helicopter enough for their needs.
(Image Source: Indian Army)
2. HAL Dhruv Mk. 3 Navy/Mk.3 MR (Marine Reconnaissance)
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Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) unveiled their utility helicopter, the HAL Dhruv, in November 1984. In 1992, the rotorcraft took to the skies for the first time. In order to complete maritime reconnaissance and long-range search and rescue tasks, the HAL Dhruv Mk. 3 Navy/Mk.3 MR (Marine Reconnaissance) is outfitted with a high-powered machine gun (HMG) and the ability to instal at least two anti-ship missiles (ASW).
(Image Source: Indian Navy)
3. HAL Dhruv
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Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) unveiled their utility helicopter, the HAL Dhruv, in November 1984. The helicopter had its first flight in 1992, although it took longer to complete due to many issues, such as the Indian Army's need for design adjustments and sanctions imposed on India after the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998. The term dhruv, from which the name is derived, has its roots in Sanskrit and meaning unshakeable or firm.
(Image Source: Indian Army)
4. HAL LUH
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Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's (HAL) Rotary Wing Research and Design Center (RWR&DC) designed and developed the HAL Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) for both civilian and military use. These will replace the Indian Army's and IAF's license-built versions of the Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama (also known as the Cheetah) and the Aérospatiale Alouette III (also known as the Chetak).
(Image Source: HAL)
5. HAL Rudra
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A variant of the HAL Dhruv, the HAL Rudra (also known as the ALH-WSI), is designed and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The Rudra was developed concurrently with the HAL Light Combat Helicopter (LCH). When developing the Rudra, few modifications were made from the Dhruv so that it could be deployed in service sooner than the LCH project could manage.
(Image Source: HAL)
