Asia’s largest military Helicopter factory opened in India

In yet another step towards Aatmanirbharta in the defence sector, PM Modi on 6 February dedicated to the nation the HAL helicopter factory in Tumakuru whose foundation whose laid was laid in 2016. It is a dedicated greenfield helicopter factory will enhance the capacity and ecosystem to buil helicopters. It is Asia’s largest helicopter manufacturing facility.

The HAL facility will build a range of helicopters for the military and civilian customers. The 615 acrre facility is to begin by manufacturing HAL’s light utility Helicopter (LUH) and the under development Indian multirole helicopter (IMRH). The factory also has the potential for exporting the civil LUH’s in future. “The greenfield helicopter factory, spread across 615 acres of land, is planned with a vision to become a one – stop solution for all the helicopter requirements of the country,” HAL said in the Statement Friday. 

This facility will enable India to meet its entire requirement of helicopters indigenously and will attain the distinction of enabling self – reliance in helicopter design, development and manufacture in India. 

About the factory

The factory will have a manufacturing set up of Industry 4.0 standards. Over the next 20 years, HAL is planning to produce more than 1000 helicopters in the class of 3-15 tonnes from Tumakuru with a total business of over Rs 4 lakh crore. This will result in providing employment for around 6000 people in the region. 

HAL says that the factory ‘will produce around 30 helicopters per year and and can enhanced to 60 and then 90 per year in a phased manner’.The Tumakuru will also be used for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of LHC , LUH , civil advanced light helicopter (ALH) and IMRH in the future, says HAL. The company’s prachand and dhruv offerings are currently manufactured at the Bengaluru – based helicopter division, which currently runs at capacity, necessitating the new Tumakuru facility.

The ceremony comes right before the flagship Aero India 2023 show that kicks off at the Yelahanka air force station on Feb 13. The show is a traditional bi – annual site for HAL’s muscle – flex.

Light utility Helicopter

LUH is an indigenously designed and developed 3-ton class, single – engine multipurpose utility Helicopter with the unique feature of high manoeuvrability. LUH will replace the army and the Indian Air force’s (IAF) ageing fleets of cheetah and chetak helicopters. HAL expects the army and tha IAF to place combined orders for atleast 187 light helicopters in the coming years (126 for the army and 61 fir IAF). 

Currently , the cheetah and chetak helicopters are a critical lifeline for troops in high – altitude areas, including the Siachen glacier. HAL has licence – produced 625 Cheetah and chetak helicopters. It is no longer builds them but is responsible for their maintenance and repair. 

Conclusion

India has imposed a phased import ban on 411 different weapons and systems, including different types of helicopters, during the three years to boost self – reliance in the defence sector. These are expected to be indigenised in phases over the next five to  six years.