By IANS,
Bangalore : State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) Saturday delivered four Cheetal helicopters to the Indian Air Force (IAF) at Barrackpore in West Bengal.
Six more copters ordered by the air force will be delivered by September, the company said in a statement here.
Air-Vice Marshal M. Bahadur received the first batch of choppers at HAL’s helicopter division from its design and development director N.C. Agarwal.
The Cheetal is an upgraded version of the Cheetah helicopter, with Turbemaca e33-2M2 engine in place of its Artouste IIIB engine.
Bahadur said Cheetals would enhance the air force’s operational capabilities, especially in high altitudes.
“We have faith in HAL and hope it will continue to deliver and provide product support,” Bahadur noted.
The company’s helicopter complex managing director R. Srinivasan hoped the air force order would encourage the Indian Army and the central government to procure Cheetals for various roles, including internal security.
“The reduced weight of the new engine with specific fuel consumption has resulted in increased range, endurance and payload,” Srinivasan noted.
The more versatile chopper can be used in multiple roles, including search and rescue and high altitude missions.
The Cheetal has been designed to incorporate upgraded features such as light weight modern technology cockpit instruments like electrically-driven artificial horizon, directional gyro, and light weight modern avionics.