Jodhpur: It was indeed a proud moment for the Indian Armed Forces as the first batch of indigenously made “Prachand” Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) was inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) October 3 with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh going on a sortie in the chopper dressed in flying gear, and saying after the flight, “it was a smooth and comfortable flight in the indigenously built Light Combat Helicopter (LCH). It can fly in any terrain, weather, and altitude; it has the capability to attack. Our motto is – make in India, make for the world,”
The induction of the ‘Prachand’ choppers into the Air Force is a big boost to its combat prowess. These choppers are capable of flying at very high altitudes and armed with a range of missiles. The helicopter has been tested in the Ladakh region, where India faces the threat of Chinese incursions. It has the capability to take out Chinese drones with air-to-air missiles and to target tanks on the ground with air-to-surface weapons.
In the ceremony to induct the new helicopters, the Defence Minister said it is “a momentous occasion reflecting India’s capability in defence production”. Developed by the Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), the ‘Prachand’ helicopter will be the bedrock of the country’s combat helicopter formations. 95 of these choppers will go to the Indian Army and about 65 to the Air Force.
The Light Combat Helicopter has similarities with the Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv. It has a number of stealth features, armoured-protection systems, night attack capability and crash-worthy landing gear for better survivability, officials said. It is equipped with requisite agility, manoeuvrability, extended range, high altitude performance and all-weather combat capability to perform a range of roles including combat search and rescue (CSAR), destruction of enemy air defence (DEAD) and counter-insurgency (CI) operations.
The helicopter can also be deployed in high-altitude bunker-busting operations, counter-insurgency operations in the jungles and urban environments, as well as for supporting ground forces.
