Amid the ongoing stand-off on the border with China in Ladakh, two indigenous Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) have been deployed for operations at high altitude in Leh at short notice to support Indian Air Force (IAF) missions, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) said on Wednesday.
“It is the lightest attack helicopter in the world designed and developed by HAL to meet the specific and unique requirements of Indian Armed Forces reflecting the crucial role of HAL in Atma Nirbhar Bharat,” said HAL Chief Managing Director R. Madhavan said in a statement.
Last week, Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Harjit Singh Arora took part in one such operation along with HAL test pilot Wg Cdr Subash P John (retd) by taking off from a high altitude location to a forward area for a simulated attack on a high-altitude target. “This was followed by a landing at one of the most treacherous helipads in the region. The LCH successfully demonstrated its quick deployment prowess to forward locations in extreme temperatures,” HAL stated.
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The IAF and the Army together need around 160 LCHs and the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has approved an initial batch of 15 LCHs. The IAF has since issued the Request for Proposal (RFP) for 15 Limited Series Production (LSP) helicopters, 10 for itself and five for the Army, and HAL has submitted its response. “Technical evaluation and the price negotiations have been concluded and the order is expected shortly,” HAL said. As a proactive measure, it had launched production of LSPs in anticipation of orders at its Bengaluru facility, it added.
According to HAL, the LCH is a potent weapon platform with state of the art systems and highly accurate weapons capable of hitting any type of target by day or night. Other features of the LCH include its ability to operate in the complete ‘Area of Responsibility’ (AOR) and altitudes and has the ability to carry adequate weapon load at high altitudes under varied conditions.
