The Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Tuesday cleared the purchase of 12 Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) under the Make in India category.
The eponymous LUH has comprehensively proved its ability to operate at the world’s highest helipads — such as along the Saltoro Ridge, where the Indian Army is deployed in super-high-altitude picquets to defend the Siachen Glacier.
In recent testing, HAL’s veteran test pilot, Group Captain Unni Nair flew the Army Aviation Corps chief, Lt Gen A K Suri, in a LUH in Ladakh. Nair, who has test-flown a range of HAL helicopters in the high