| No. 143 Helicopter Unit | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1 June 2022 - Present |
| Country |  Republic of India |
| Branch |  Indian Air Force |
| Garrison/HQ | Jodhpur AFS |
| Nickname(s) | "Dhanush" |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | HAL Prachand |
No. 143 Helicopter Unit (Dhanush) is a helicopter Unit and is equipped with HAL Prachand based at Jodhpur AFS. [1]
143 Helicopter Unit, is the latest attack helicopter unit of the Indian Air Force. It is the first unit to be equipped with the indigenously developed HAL Prachand attack helicopter. [2] The unit was raised on 1 June 2022 and started receiving the initial lot of helicopters from 18 July, 2022. The unit officially inducted 4 HAL Prachand on 3 October, 2022. [3]
The unit will be tasked to carry out mainly ground attack missions. Prachand also has limited aerial combat capability. Armed with M621 cannon on Nexter THL-20 turret, ATAM, FZ275 LGR rockets and Dhruvastra anti-tank guided missiles, the helicopter is well versed in carrying out varied operations duties. [2]
| Aircraft | From | To | Air Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| HAL Prachand | 3 October 2022 | Present | Jodhpur AFS [4] |
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is an Indian public sector aerospace and defence company, headquartered in Bangalore. Established on 23 December 1940, HAL is one of the oldest and largest aerospace and defence manufacturers in the world. HAL began aircraft manufacturing as early as 1942 with licensed production of Harlow PC-5, Curtiss P-36 Hawk and Vultee A-31 Vengeance for the Indian Air Force. HAL currently has 11 dedicated Research and development (R&D) centers and 21 manufacturing divisions under 4 production units spread across India. HAL is managed by a board of directors appointed by the President of India through the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. HAL is currently involved in designing and manufacturing of fighter jets, helicopters, jet engine and marine gas turbine engine, avionics, software development, spares supply, overhauling and upgrading of Indian military aircraft.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 October 1932 as an auxiliary air force of the British Empire which honoured India's aviation service during World War II with the prefix Royal. After India gained independence from United Kingdom in 1947, the name Royal Indian Air Force was kept and served in the name of the Dominion of India. With the transition to a republic in 1950, the prefix Royal was removed.
An attack helicopter is an armed helicopter with the primary role of an attack aircraft, with the offensive capability of engaging ground targets such as enemy infantry, military vehicles and fortifications. Due to their heavy armament they are sometimes called helicopter gunships.
The HAL Tejas is an Indian, single engine, delta wing, light multirole fighter designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in collaboration with Aircraft Research and Design Centre (ARDC) of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. It was developed from the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme, which began in the 1980s to replace India's ageing MiG-21 fighters but later became part of a general fleet modernisation programme. In 2003, the LCA was officially named "Tejas". It is the smallest and lightest in its class of contemporary supersonic combat aircraft.
The HAL Dhruv is a utility helicopter designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in November 1984. The helicopter first flew in 1992; its development was prolonged due to multiple factors including the Indian Army's requirement for design changes, budget restrictions, and sanctions placed on India following the 1998 Pokhran-II nuclear tests. The name comes from a Sanskrit origin word dhruv which means unshakeable or firm.
The HAL Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) is an Indian programme to develop a fifth-generation stealth, multirole combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy which will also include sixth-generation technologies. The design of the aircraft is carried out by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is expected to be produced by a public-private joint venture between the DRDO, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), and an Indian private company. The development cost is estimated to be around ₹15,000 crore.
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Indian Air Force Academy, Dundigal is a Defence Service training institute located in Medchal-Malkajgiri district 43 km (27 mi) from Hyderabad, in the Indian state of Telangana.
The HAL Prachand is an Indian multi-role, light attack helicopter designed and manufactured by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under project LCH. It has been ordered by the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army. Its flight ceiling is the highest among all attack helicopters in the world.
Jodhpur Airport is a domestic airport and an Indian Air Force base serving the city of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. It is operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and shares its airside with the Jodhpur Air Force Station of the Indian Air Force.
The Army Aviation Corps (AAC) is an arm of the Indian Army which was formed on 1 November 1986. The corps is headed by a director general at army headquarters in New Delhi.
The Indian Air Force has been undergoing a modernization program to replace and upgrade outdated equipment since the late 1990s to meet modern standards. For that reason, it has started procuring and developing aircraft, weapons, associated technologies, and infrastructures. Some of these programs date back to the late 1980s. The primary focus of current modernization and upgrades is to replace aircraft purchased from the Soviet Union that currently form the backbone of the Air Force.
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No. 18 Squadron, is an air-defence unit of the Indian Air Force, flying from Sulur Air Force Station. The squadron is equipped with indigenous HAL Tejas MK1 in FOC configuration.
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Iron Fist is an Indian Air Force exercise held at Pokhran, Rajasthan. It has been held twice: 2013 and 2016.
No. 125 Helicopter Squadron (Gladiators) is a fighter squadron and is equipped with Apache AH-64E and based at Pathankot Air Force Station.
No. 45 Squadron Indian Air Force is a Fighter Squadron internally based at Sulur AFS, Tamil Nadu. The squadron operates the indigenous HAL Tejas fighter from 1 July 2016. The squadron was initially based at Bangalore, Karnataka and later shifted to its main base in Sulur from 1 June 2018.
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