HAL CHETAK (ALOUETTE III)

Type: Light multi-role helicopter.

Maximum Speed: 113 knots (210 km/h)

Service Ceiling: 10,500 feet (3200 metres)

Range: 290 nautical miles (540 km)

Avionics: Some of the helicopters have been fitted with a search radar of an unspecified type.

Armament: ASW; Two Whitehead A244S torpedoes.

Role: Several helicopters roles are performed including embarked carrier-based search & rescue, utility & support to commando forces and more recently in ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) / ESM (Electronic Support Measures) roles.

Self Defence: A media report, dated 05 May 2007, stated that 15 KITE Electronic Support Measures (ESM) systems were fitted aboard the HAL Chetak and Kamov helicopters. Also, an additional 47 KITE systems are on order and in various stages of production & integration. The KITE ESM system is an indigenous development by the Defence Electronics Research Laboratory (DLRL).

Comments: The Leander Class frigates were designed to embark multi-role, anti-submarine torpedo carrying helicopters, whose acronym became MATCH helicopters. After the decision had been taken for the Army, Navy and Air Force to have a common helicopter, the French Alouette III was chosen for indigenous manufacture at HAL. The Indian Navy's first three Alouette III helicopters were imported from France and the remainder were supplied by HAL. The Search and Rescue (SAR) Alouette helicopter had entered the service with INS Vikrant in 1961. The survey ship - INS Darshak - which had been designed to embark a helicopter and had entered service in 1964, first embarked an Alouette III in 1970 to help survey the Gulf of Kutch. The tanker INS Deepak - which was commissioned in 1967 - was also designed to embark an Alouette III. By March 1969, logistic support had been added to the helicopter's SAR role. On 15 March 1969, the Helicopter Squadron was commissioned as INAS 321. It comprised the SAR flights of ships INS Vikrant & INS Deepak and naval air stations of INS Hansa and INS Garuda.

The MATCH flight for the first Leander Class frigate - INS Nilgiri - was commissioned as INAS 331 on 15 May 1972. In the light of experienced gained in the 1971 Indo-Pak War of how useful this light helicopter could be, flights were sanctioned for a number of ships. Apart from the first four Leander Class frigates and frigates INS Trishul and INS Talwar, which embarked the MATCH Alouette III helicopters, SAR Alouette IIIs were sanctioned for the frigates INS Brahmaputra, INS Beas, INS Betwa, the new training ship INS Tir and new survey ships. Since most ships were based in Bombay, embarkations were of short duration. INAS 321 relocated to INS Kunjali (now known as INS Shikra) in Mumbai on 01 August 1980. In the early 1980s, HAL indicated that they were considering discontinuing the production of HAL Chetak helicopters. Since the production of the replacement ALHs would take considerable time, HAL continued production. A total of 85 HAL Chetak helicopters were inducted into the Indian Navy till 2002, of which 19 have been lost, leaving 66 in service. Additionally the Coast Guard operates 17 examples of the type.