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.
The LCH project and its development
The LCH project can be traced to the 1999 Kargil war when the armed forces felt the need for a dedicated platform capable of operating at high altitudes and delivering precision strikes as the existing attack choppers couldn’t effectively hit targets. This laid the foundation for the research and development of an India-made attack helicopter.
In October 2006, the government sanctioned the design and development of the LCH. The Indian Army joined the programme in December 2013. The HAL built four LCH prototypes — technology demonstrators or TDs — and flight-tested them with over 1,600 total flights logging 1,239 flight hours. The helicopter prototypes were tested for around a decade under difficult conditions including sea trials in Chennai, extreme cold weather in Leh, desert conditions in Jodhpur and high altitudes in Siachen.
The ground run was first carried out in February 2010 and the first prototype ‘TD-1’ took its maiden flight on March 29, 2010, as the crew carried out low-speed, low-altitude checks on the systems. The second prototype, TD-2, was fitted with weapons. It was unveiled in 2011 and took its first flight in the same year on June 28. The TD-3 made its maiden flight in November 2014 and the fourth prototype was tested a year later. During its testing, the LCH landed at a forward base in the region, 4,700 metres above sea level and 500-kg load.
After extensive flight testing in diverse terrains and weather conditions, the LCH received initial operation clearance on August 26, 2017. It was declared ready for production in February 2020. A new LCH production hangar at the Helicopter Division of HAL with a production capacity of 30 choppers was inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Over a year later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over the LCH to the Indian Air Force.
Earlier this year, the Cabinet Committee on Security, headed by PM Modi approved the procurement of 15 limited series production (LSP) variants at a cost of ₹3,887 crore — 10 for the IAF and five for the Indian Army. The LSP LCH have been built with 45% indigenous content which will progressively increase to more than 55%.
The Indian Army formally inducted its first Light Combat Helicopter on September 29.
What are the main features of LCH?
Powered by twin Shakti engines, a collaborative effort of the HAL and France’s Safran company, the LCH is a 5.8-tonne class combat helicopter with potent ground attack and aerial combat capability. “The helicopter possesses modern stealth characteristics, robust armour protection and formidable night attack capability. Onboard advanced navigation system, guns tailored for close combat and potent air to air missiles make the LCH especially suited for the modern battlefield,” the Defence Ministry’s description.
The helicopter can fly at a maximum speed of 288 kmph and has a combat radius of 500 km, which can go up to a service ceiling of 21,000 feet, making it ideal to operate in Siachen. It incorporates several stealth features like reduced radar and infra-red signatures, crashworthy features for improved survivability, armoured-protection systems and night attack capability. The pilot and co-pilot, known as the Weapon Systems Operator (WSO), sit in tandem in a glass cockpit and are protected by armoured panels. Other features include:
- 20 mm nose gun in the front, which is capable of firing 800 rounds per minute with a firing range up to 2 km
- 70 mm rocket pod mounted on the stub wing, with a direct firing range of up to 4 km and indirect up to 8 km.
- Above the gun is an electro-optical pod for long-range day and night surveillance and tracking of the target
- Anti-tank guided missile ‘Dhruvastra’ and air-to-air missile ‘Mistral-2’ which has a maximum interception range of 6.5 km
How will the LCH give an edge to the armed forces?
The induction of the LCH into the Air Force has been termed as a “big boost” to the combat prowess of the armed forces and a “potent platform to meet the operational requirements of the IAF and the Army”.
The LCH helicopters can be deployed to assume air defence, anti-tank roles in high-altitude, counter-insurgency, and search and rescue operations, and are equipped with advanced technology which can be used to destroy the enemy’s air defence, as per HAL. The LCH is equipped with requisite agility, manoeuvrability, extended range, high altitude performance and around-the-clock, all-weather combat capability. It can be deployed to perform Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR), bunker busting operations, counter-insurgency operations in the jungle and urban areas and support the ground forces, Defence Ministry officials added.
As per HAL, the Indian armed forces have an overall requirement of 160 LCH — 95 for Army and 65 for Air Force. While the fleet of first four helicopters was inducted into the 143 Helicopter Unit ‘Dhanush’, the Indian Air Force plans to procure more in the near future. The helicopters are likely to be deployed along the Line of Actual Control along with Apache choppers.
As for the Army, HAL is likely to hand over four more helicopters by the end of this month. The Army raised its first unit in Bengaluru in June but plans to move it to the Eastern Command along the LAC. The Army plans to acquire 95 LCH of which seven units, with each having 10 helicopters, are planned to be deployed for a combat role in the mountains, The Hindu reported earlier.
Currently, the Army Aviation does not have dedicated attack helicopters in its fleet. It does operate the weaponised version of the Advanced Light Helicopter. The Indian Air Force, meanwhile, operates the Mi-25 and Mi-35 Russian attack helicopters, which are in the process of being phased out, along with Mi-17s, Mi-17V5s, Advanced Light Helicopter, Apache attack helicopters and Chinook heavy lift helicopters.
