India’s Light Helicopter Replacement: HAL LUH vs Airbus H125M vs Leonardo AW109 TrekkerM

India’s long-delayed effort to replace its ageing Cheetah and Chetak helicopter fleet is entering a new phase. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), on October 26, 2026, granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the procurement of Light Multi-Role Helicopters (LMRH) for the Indian Army. The approval follows a fresh requirement for 200 helicopters, with 120 earmarked for the Army Aviation Corps and 80 for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The proposed acquisition is reportedly worth around ₹20,000 crore, although the Ministry of Defence has not publicly disclosed a programme-specific cost in its AoN announcement. More importantly, the LMRH acquisition is not the only programme intended to replace the ageing fleet. The armed forces are also expected to procure approximately 200 indigenous Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

A procurement programme spanning more than two decades

India’s search for a replacement for the Cheetah and Chetak helicopters is not new. The original requirement dates back to 2003, when the Ministry of Defence issued a tender for 197 light reconnaissance and surveillance helicopters for the Army and the IAF.

The first major setback came in 2007. Eurocopter’s AS550 C3 Fennec emerged as the preferred platform, but the tender was withdrawn amid allegations of procedural irregularities. A fresh Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued in 2008 under the Reconnaissance and Surveillance Helicopter (RSH) programme. Despite completing trials and evaluations, the procurement did not progress and was eventually withdrawn in August 2014.

The 2014 tender was estimated to be worth approximately ₹6,000 crore. Instead of continuing with the original foreign-vendor procurement, the government decided to pursue a Buy and Make Indian approach, allowing foreign manufacturers to partner with Indian companies for domestic production.

This eventually led to the selection of Russia’s Kamov Ka-226T. In May 2015, the Defence Acquisition Council approved the procurement of 200 Ka-226T helicopters. The arrangement envisaged the direct purchase of 60 helicopters from Russia and the manufacture of another 140 in India. An Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) was signed between India and Russia in December 2015. The proposed agreement was valued at approximately US$1 billion. However, it never progressed to a final supply contract.

Why the Ka-226T deal failed

The Ka-226T was an interesting choice for the Indian requirement. It is a twin-engine light utility helicopter featuring a coaxial rotor configuration, in which two main rotors rotate in opposite directions without requiring a conventional tail rotor. The arrangement offered a compact helicopter with a comparatively large payload capacity. With a maximum take-off weight of approximately 3.6 tonnes, the Ka-226T could carry a payload of around one tonne and accommodate six passengers or specialised mission equipment.

However, the arrangement ran into disagreements over technology transfer and localisation. India wanted a substantial proportion of the helicopter to be manufactured domestically, including greater access to manufacturing technology and critical components. Russia and India could not reach an agreement on the required level of localisation.

In February 2020, Rosoboronexport chief Alexander Mikheyev said that localisation remained the final unresolved issue. He also confirmed that the approximately US$1 billion contract for the 200 helicopters had not been signed. Although the Indo-Russian Helicopters joint venture had been established, the project never progressed into actual production. Another reason is that the Ka-226T used SAFRAN Arrius 2G1 turboshaft engines, but after the 2022 war in Ukraine and sanctions, France blocked Russia’s access to the Arrius 2G1 engines.

Why does the Army need a new light utility helicopter?

The Cheetah and Chetak have served the Indian armed forces for decades. The Chetak, derived from the French Aérospatiale Alouette III, entered Indian service in 1965. The Cheetah, based on the Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama, followed in 1976. Both helicopters have played an important role in India’s mountain operations, particularly in Ladakh, Siachen and other forward locations along the northern borders.

But these helicopters are based on designs developed more than half a century ago. Their continued operation created challenges in maintenance, availability of spares and overall fleet serviceability. The armed forces also need modern avionics, improved navigation and better mission equipment to meet contemporary operational requirements.

According to the Ministry of Defence’s August 2025 RFI, the new helicopters should be capable of:

• Reconnaissance and surveillance: Day and night observation of the battlefield and forward areas.
• Troop movement: Transporting small troop detachments and quick reaction teams for specialised missions.
• Logistics: Carrying internal cargo and underslung loads to support ground formations.
• Armed scouting: Operating alongside attack helicopters during reconnaissance and battlefield missions.
• Casualty evacuation: Transporting injured soldiers from forward locations.
• Search and rescue: Supporting personnel recovery and emergency operations.

The most demanding part of the requirement concerns high-altitude performance. The Ministry has specifically asked manufacturers to provide details of the helicopters’ load-carrying capacity in Siachen and at altitudes exceeding 16,000 feet. The platforms must also be suitable for operations in extremely hot desert conditions. The RFI is open to both single-engine and twin-engine helicopters.

Two parallel procurement tracks: HAL LUH and the 200 LMRH requirement

Recent developments have created two separate procurement tracks for replacing the Cheetah and Chetak fleet. The first is HAL’s indigenous Light Utility Helicopter programme. The second is the fresh acquisition of 200 Light Multi-Role Helicopters, for which foreign original equipment manufacturers can partner with Indian companies.

The HAL LUH programme

HAL’s LUH is an indigenous three-tonne-class helicopter developed to replace the Cheetah and Chetak. The programme was intended to provide the armed forces with a modern light helicopter without depending on an entirely foreign-designed platform.

The original requirement was for 187 helicopters, comprising 126 for the Army and 61 for the IAF. According to reports published in October 2026, HAL has manufactured 12 LUHs with delivery expected in FY 2027–28, while it is awaiting formal order for rest 187 airframes.

HAL has also completed a considerable part of the helicopter’s flight-test programme. The basic helicopter underwent ground testing, endurance runs, system testing and flight trials, including hot-weather, cold-weather, sea-level and high-altitude trials. The Army variant received IOC in 2021. In October 2026, officials confirmed that the LUH was still in the final stages of certification and mission-equipment integration. The ongoing flight trials include work on autorotation characteristics and integration of an Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS).

The new Light Multi-Role Helicopter programme 2025

The second track involves the procurement of 200 LMRHs, apart from 187 LUH orders, following the fresh RFI issued in August 2025. The requirement is divided between the Army and the IAF, with 120 and 80 helicopters respectively. The DAC granted Acceptance of Necessity for the LMRH requirement on October 26, 2026. A detailed RFP, final specifications and confirmed list of bidders are yet to be publicly established.

Who are the potential contenders?

The new competition could see three platforms emerge as contenders: HAL’s indigenous LUH, Airbus’ H125M offered through Tata Advanced Systems, and Leonardo’s AW109 TrekkerM through Adani Defence.

Data as available on public forum.

What is HIGE And HOGE And Why hover performance matters

A helicopter’s service ceiling, HIGE and HOGE figures describe different aspects of its performance.

The service ceiling is the maximum altitude at which a helicopter can sustain flight under specified performance conditions. It does not necessarily indicate whether the aircraft can hover at that altitude.

Hover-in-ground-effect (HIGE) refers to hovering close to the ground, where the aircraft benefits from additional aerodynamic lift. Hover-out-of-ground-effect (HOGE) refers to hovering without this advantage, requiring greater engine power.

This distinction is particularly important for mountain operations. A helicopter might be capable of flying at an altitude exceeding 20,000 feet but may not have sufficient power to hover or land there while carrying a significant payload.

The published high-altitude performance figures for the contenders

Note: Figures are based on published manufacturer specifications and are not results of comparative trials. HIGE and HOGE figures for the TrekkerM are stated at maximum gross weight under standard atmospheric conditions. The H125’s operational altitude and HOGE ceiling represent different operating conditions. HAL’s published service ceiling should not be treated as a hover ceiling.

Ultimately, Indian Army should not restrict its choices to an indigenous helicopter simply to meet the objective of self-reliance. But neither should it abandon a domestic programme without clear evidence that alternative offers a genuine operational advantage.