New Delhi: The Indian Army and the Air Force have moved the defence ministry to place an order for 156 additional Light Combat Helicopters (LCH), named Prachand, to enhance their combat capabilities along the borders with China, ThePrint has learnt.
Sources in the defence and security establishment told ThePrint that while the decision will be taken by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the proposal is for the Army to get 90 of the Prachands and the Indian Air Force (IAF) to get 66.
These will complement the 22 Apache attack helicopters operated by the IAF and the six of the Army, which will be delivered by American aviation major Boeing next year.
The Prachand is India’s first indigenous multi-role combat helicopter, developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). It is designed to meet the specific needs of the Indian armed forces for operating in deserts and high-altitude areas.
At the induction of the helicopter into the IAF at the Jodhpur airbase last October, HAL claimed that the Prachand is the only helicopter in the world that can land and take off at an altitude of 16,400 feet, making it suitable for operations in the Siachen glacier. It can also fire various air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles and destroy enemy air defence systems.
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Prachand’s features and capabilities
The design and development of Prachand were reportedly sanctioned in October 2006. HAL built four LCH prototypes that were tested for around a decade under challenging conditions, including sea trials in Chennai, extreme cold weather in Leh, desert conditions in Jodhpur and high altitudes in Siachen. The helicopter finally received operational clearance in 2017, according to media reports.
Prachand is fitted with a Shakti engine, which is co-developed by HAL and France’s Safran.
The helicopter can carry out operations, such as Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR), Destruction of Enemy Air Defence (DEAD), Counter Insurgency (CI) operations, against slow-moving aircraft and Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs), high altitude bunker busting operations, counter-insurgency operations in the jungle and urban environments, and support to ground forces.
The state-of-the-art technologies and systems compatible with stealth features, such as reduced visual, aural, radar and infrared signatures and crashworthiness features for better survivability, have been integrated into Prachand for deployment in combat roles. The helicopter is equipped to handle the emerging challenges for the next three to four decades.
Several aviation technologies like glass cockpits and composite airframe structures have been indigenised.
The LCH is a 5.8-tonne class combat helicopter that 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.
The pilot and co-pilot, known as Weapon Systems Operator, sit in tandem in a glass cockpit. The helicopters will be equipped with Dhruvastra air-to-air missiles. The Army version of the missile is called Helina.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
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