Light Combat Helicopter inducted into Indian Air Force

Context

The Indian Air Force (IAF) inducted its first batch of indigenously-developed Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) in a major boost to its combat prowess was formally inducted at the Jodhpur air base.

• The helicopter will be called ‘Prachand’, which means fierce.
  
  
  

About Light Combat Helicopter 

• LCH has been developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).  
• The first prototype of the helicopter took first flight on March 29, 2010 and has since undergone extensive testing and evaluation. 
• It is a state-of-the-art modern combat helicopter, primarily designed for deployment in high-altitude regions. 
• It is the only attack helicopter in the world which can land and take-off at an altitude of 5,000 m with a considerable load of weapons and fuel.
• It has a range of 550 km and an operational ceiling of 6500 m.
• It is armed with air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, 70 mm rockets and a 20 mm gun.

Genesis of the Light Combat Helicopter

• It was during the 1999 Kargil war that the need was first felt for a homegrown lightweight assault helicopter that could hold precision strikes in all Indian battlefield scenarios. 
• This meant a craft that could operate in very hot deserts and also in very cold high altitudes, in counter-insurgency scenarios to full-scale battle conditions.
• India has been operating sub 3 ton category French-origin legacy helicopters, Chetak and Cheetah, made in India by the HAL. 
• These single engine machines were, primarily, utility helicopters. 
• Indian forces also operate the Lancer, an armed version of Cheetah. 
• In addition, the Indian Air Force currently operates the Russian origin Mi-17 and its variants Mi-17 IV and Mi-17 V5, with maximum take off weight of 13 tonnes, which are to be phased out starting 2028.
• But the requirement was for a more agile, multi-role dedicated attack helicopter. 
• After the initial deliberations, the government sanctioned the LCH project in October 2006, and HAL was tasked to develop it. 
• The HAL’s Rotary Wing Research and Development Centre, which had already worked on the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruva and its weaponised version ALH Rudra, embarked upon the project.

Features

• It is powered by two Shakti engines and is equipped with stealth features, all-weather combat capability, armour protection, night attack capability, and crash-worthy landing gear. 
• The narrow fuselage with tandem cockpit configuration makes LCH extremely manoeuvrable and agile. 
• Stealth features like low radar cross section and minimal infrared signature allow it to go behind enemy lines undetected and attack with precision.
• It boasts of a full glass cockpit, Electronic Warfare suite and helmet-mounted display for the flying crew.
• It can perform a range of roles, including combat search and rescue, destruction of enemy air defence and counter-insurgency operations in the jungle and urban environments.

Significance

• The induction of LCH in the Indian Air Force is expected to provide further impetus to Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan.