The story so far: The indigenously developed Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) ‘Prachand’, meaning fierce was formally inducted into the Indian Air Force at the Jodhpur airbase on Monday.
Designed, developed and extensively test-flown for over a decade by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), the multi-role attack helicopter has been customised as per the requirements of the Indian armed forces to operate both in desert terrains and high-altitude sectors. The LCH is the only attack helicopter in the world that can land and take off at an altitude of 5,000 metres (16,400 ft), which makes it ideal to operate in the high altitude areas of the Siachen glacier. It is also capable of firing a range of air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles and can destroy air defence operations of the enemy.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who presided over the formal event, termed the induction of the LCH into the Air Force as an “important milestone” reflecting India’s capability in defence production. “The LCH meets the requirements of modern warfare and necessary quality parameters under varied conditions of operations. This versatile helicopter perfectly meets the needs of our armed forces in various terrains and as such LCH is an ideal platform for both our Army and Air Force,” the Minister said. IAF chief Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhary said the induction of LCH adds unique capabilities to the IAF’s combat potential.
