Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inducts first indigenously developed Light Combat Helicopter

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inducts the first developed Light Combat Helicopter into the Indian Air Force. The ceremony was held at Air Force Station, Jodhpur in Rajasthan. The helicopter has been named “Prachanda”.

The minister at the induction said that LCH not only adds to the combat capability of the Air Force but is also a great leap towards the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat. He also said that the need for a combat helicopter was felt during the Kargil War and LCH is a culmination of two decades of effort to fulfill this need. 

#WATCH | The first indigenously developed Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) inducted into Indian Air Force at Jodhpur, in the presence of Defence minister Rajnath Singh and IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari pic.twitter.com/sh3fqkTprg

— ANI (@ANI) October 3, 2022

LCH Prachanda: All you need to know

1. LCH has been developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd(HAL).
2. The aircraft is a state-of-the-art modern combat helicopter designed for deployment in high-altitude regions. 
3. Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) is the only attack helicopter in the world that can land and take off at an altitude of 5,000m with a considerable load of weapons and fuel. 
4. Prachanda is powered by two Shakti engines and is equipped with stealth properties, all-weather combat capability, armour protection, night attack capability, and crash-worthy landing gear.
5. Stealth properties such as low radar cross section and minimal infrared signature permit it to go behind enemy lines undetected and attack with precision.
6. The narrow fuselage with tandem cockpit configuration makes Light Combat Helicopter maneuverable and agile. 
7. The aircraft has a range of 550 km and an operational ceiling of 6500m.
8. LCH is armed with air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, 70 mm rockets, and a 20 mm gun.
9. The aircraft boasts of a full glass cockpit, an Electronic Warfare suite, and a helmet-mounted display for the flying crew.
10. Light Combat Helicopter can perform various roles such as combat search and rescue, destruction of enemy air defence, and counter-insurgency operations in urban and jungle environments. 

Background

The induction of Prachanda into the Indian Air Force is expected to give further impetus to Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan. Under the scheme, the government is promoting indigenous design, development, and manufacture of defence equipment in the country to decrease imports. The Cabinet Committee on Security approved buying 15 indigenous LCH helicopters.

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