The first flight of the Indian Light Utility Helicopter powered by Safran's Ardiden 1U engine successfully took place on Sept. 6, the company announced. Photo courtesy Safran

BANGALORE, India, Sept. 13 (UPI) -- The first flight of the Indian Light Utility Helicopter powered by Safran's Ardiden 1U engine successfully took place on Sept. 6, the company announced.

The flight took place in Bangalore, with the Ardiden 1U meeting all performance targets, Safran said in a statement.


The LUH is a new 3-ton, single-engine, multipurpose rotorcraft designed by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., or HAL.

Safran was selected by the company in 2014 to provide the engine.

The 1U is a derivative of the Ardiden 1H1 1,400 shp engine, which was co-developed by Safran and HAL.

It is now in production under the Shakti designation, powering HAL's Dhruv and Light Combat Helicopter.

Ardiden 1U certification is planned for 2018.