How Airbus is Trying to Fool India With a 50-Year-Old Helicopter Design for the Armed Forces

India Defense

How Airbus is Trying to Fool India With a 50-Year-Old Helicopter Design for the Armed Forces

The partnership between Airbus Helicopters and Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. (TASL) to establish a helicopter manufacturing line in Karnataka is being promoted as a major step for India’s aerospace industry under the “Make in India” banner. But beneath the glossy headlines lies a serious concern: Airbus is trying to introduce a 50-year-old helicopter design — the H125, originally known as the AS350 Écureuil — into India’s defense market.

The irony is striking. India is seeking to replace its aging Chetak and Cheetah fleets — themselves based on 1960s-era French designs — and yet the Airbus-Tata proposal effectively substitutes them with a design from 1974. In other words, one old French helicopter is being replaced with another slightly newer, but still outdated, French design.

 

A Design Frozen in the 1970s

The AS350 Écureuil first flew in 1974, more than 50 years ago. Its rebranded version, the H125, is marketed today as a versatile, rugged helicopter with strong civilian credentials. Indeed, in civil aviation, the H125 is popular for tourism, policing, firefighting, air ambulance and high-altitude operations — even famously landing on Mount Everest.

But civil reliability doesn’t make it a modern military platform. For the armed forces, survivability, advanced avionics, electronic warfare protection, weapons integration, and long-term upgrade paths are critical. Here, the H125 falls short — it is essentially a civilian helicopter, re-packaged for military sales in emerging markets.

 

Where It’s Used And Where It’s Been Retired

The Pakistan Army Aviation Corps has operated AS350 Écureuil helicopters since the early 2000s, primarily for liaison and utility roles. This means India’s neighbor has been flying the very same type for over two decades, underlining just how dated the platform is for modern battlefield needs.

Several militaries have already moved on:

  • The Royal Australian Navy retired its AS350 “Squirrel” trainers in 2019, replacing them with more advanced systems.

  • The British Army Air Corps phased out its Squirrel HT1/2 trainers by 2020.

  • The New Zealand Defence Force retired its AS350 fleet in 2018, moving to modern twin-engine replacements.

These examples show that while the helicopter remains useful for civilian operators, militaries across the world have retired it, acknowledging that it no longer meets the demands of 21st-century warfare.

 

India’s Armed Forces Requirement

The Indian Ministry of Defence recently issued a Request for Information (RFI) for 200 light helicopters, with submissions due by October 18, 2025. Out of this, 120 are earmarked for the Indian Army and 80 for the Indian Air Force (IAF). These helicopters will replace the Chetak and Cheetah, which are among the oldest machines in Indian service.

This is a critical opportunity to induct next-generation rotorcraft, but Airbus is eyeing the RFI to push the H125 — a helicopter rooted in the 1970s. In effect, India risks replacing 1960s French designs with 1970s French designs — both outdated, both unsuitable for the future.

 

Civil Success ≠ Military Relevance

The H125’s reputation in the civil market is undeniable. It is cost-efficient, easy to maintain, and well-suited for tourism, charter, and utility operations. But this civil pedigree does not automatically translate into military value. For high-altitude warfare, tactical troop support, or advanced reconnaissance, the H125 lacks the twin-engine redundancy and advanced avionics found in modern designs.

This is why analysts call it “scrap in the defense market” — excellent for private operators, but a step backward for a military looking to modernize.

 

Airbus vs HAL’s LUH

The HAL Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) is a true competitor. Designed indigenously for Indian conditions, the LUH is tailored for high-altitude operations, features modern avionics, and has a growth path aligned with the armed forces’ needs. It represents a future-ready platform, unlike the H125, which is essentially a civil design wearing a military badge.

Airbus, however, is trying to exploit India’s procurement rules. By leveraging the L1 (lowest bid) vs L2 (second lowest bid) system — where 60% of the order typically goes to the L1 winner and 40% to the L2 . Airbus can undercut HAL by offering a cheaper, older platform. This allows them to present a financially attractive bid while India risks losing long-term capability development. Airbus is effectively using price and “Make in India” labeling to market an outdated product as if it were a new solution.

 

Comparison: Airbus H125  vs  HAL LUH

Feature Airbus H125 (AS350 Écureuil) HAL LUH (Light Utility Helicopter)
Origin / Design Year France, first flight 1974 India, first flight 2016
Role / Nature Primarily civilian utility helicopter, adapted for some military use Indigenous military utility helicopter, designed specifically for Indian Army/IAF needs
Engine 1 × Safran Arriel 2D turboshaft (Single Engine) 1 × Safran Ardiden 1U turboshaft (Single Engine, newer design)
Power Output ~847 shp ~750 shp (optimized for hot-and-high conditions)
Passenger Capacity 6 passengers + 1 pilot (civil layout) 6 troops + 2 crew (military layout)
Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW) ~2,250 kg ~3,150 kg
Range ~630 km ~350–500 km (with payload, optimized for high-altitude ops)
Service Ceiling 16,500 ft 21,300 ft (designed for Siachen & Himalayas)
Avionics Basic civil glass cockpit, limited military-grade systems Fully modern digital cockpit, NVG compatible, military communications
Survivability No armor, no crashworthy fuel tanks (civil standards) Crashworthy structure, armored seats, self-sealing fuel tanks (planned military version)
Weapon Integration Not standard (civil heli retrofitted at best) Designed to integrate light weapons, EO/IR sensors, military role systems
Current Operators Pakistan Army (since 2000s, liaison roles), various civil operators Under induction by Indian Army and IAF, tailored for defense
Retirements Retired by UK (2020), Australia (2019), New Zealand (2018) from military fleets New platform, just entering service
“Make in India” Status Planned Airbus-Tata assembly line (foreign design, civil origin) Fully designed and developed in India (HAL)
Competitiveness Cost-attractive due to older design, marketed as civil-military crossover True next-gen indigenous solution with long-term growth potential

Europe’s Old Designs in India

India’s defense forces have consistently called for next-generation helicopters to replace legacy machines. Instead, European companies are trying to dump old-generation platforms in the Indian market under the guise of local manufacturing partnerships. The proposed Airbus-Tata assembly line is less about building the future, and more about giving a second life to an already outdated helicopter.

This is not about civil aviation, where the H125 is proven and reliable. It’s about the armed forces — where soldiers’ lives depend on technology that must withstand hostile fire, extreme conditions, and modern battlefield threats. Labeling a 1970s design as “Make in India” does not make it next-gen.

 

The H125 is a civilian helicopter with a military paint job, and its introduction into the Indian armed forces would be a step back, not forward. India needs to carefully examine whether replacing 1960s-era French helicopters with a 1970s-era French design is truly modernization — or just a way for Airbus to offload its scrap into the Indian defense market., while HAL is offering a modern indigenous LUH.

With an RFI for 200 helicopters on the table, India should resist the temptation of lower upfront costs and foreign branding, and instead invest in indigenous platforms like HAL’s LUH, which promise not just capability, but also long-term self-reliance.

✍️ This article is written by the team of The Defense News.

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