India’s confidence is soaring high, with the successful completion of multiple ain’t platforms. May it be the multirole light combat aircraft Tejas to Light attack chopper. Now India turns its focus on medium to the heavyweight category which will compete with the world’s best platforms of today and tomorrow.
The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is gradually shear the heading 13t medium-lift Indian Multirole Helicopter for both Indian Airforce and the Indian Army. Which will subsequently replace the large fleet of Russian made Mi-17 multirole helicopter.
Chief designer G.Shamnath of the Rotary Wing Research and Design Centre at HAL made an exclusive announcement at Aero India 2021. He said “These legacy helicopters to be phased. out by 2028. Which offers a high replacement market’. The legacy helicopter he mentioned is Mi-17 helicopters which are been indicted in very large numbers into the Indian Armed Forces. Replacing these helicopters will cost a lot of the Indian Armed Force.
The Indian Airforce alone could require over 250 Medium Multi-Role Helicopters shortly. Thanks to the Vayu Aerospace Review we can have an in-depth analysis of the final specifications of India’s IMRH program.
Upon the request from the Review Vayu team, HAL has provided the latest and revised graphical representation of the helicopter.
As per the first new image from HAL:
– India’s IMRH will have high-performance capabilities at high altitudes.
– IMRH will feature composite main rotor S blades.
– IMRH Tail rotor will feature 4 blade configuration
– IMRH will have a Twin Engine with FADEC
– IMRH will be made to withstand rugged conditions. It Will feature Crashworthy tricycle landing gears
– IMRH will feature a large modernised glass cockpit with large interactive displays
– IMRH will come with state of the art 4 axis digital flight control systems and Prognostic HUMUS
Overall the new picture and specs are drastically different from the earlier full-scale mock-up by the Hindustan Aeronautics and Limited (HAL).
Review Vayu added that CMD said “The Indian Airforce and Indian Army are about to issue a finalised JSQR by April 2021. Based on this HAL will have to submit the DPR by June 2021. A preliminary version of the Operational Requirements has been issued by Air HW on 15 December 2020.”
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