India: first firm order for the indigenous Light Combat Helicopter (LCH)

India’s Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has approved the procurement of 15 light combat helicopters (LCH), with five units for the Army and ten for the Air Force.

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The Indian Ministry of Defense press release reported that this first firm order of the limited series production LCH costs Rs. 3,877 million (about USD 51 million), to which must be added contracts for Rs. 377 million for infrastructure.

 

Light Combat Helicopter LCH

The Limited Series Production (LSP) Light Combat Helicopter is a modern weapon system designed, developed and manufactured in India, containing approximately 45% indigenous content, which will progressively increase to over 55% in the full series version.

This helicopter features great agility and maneuverability, extended range, excellent high-altitude performance and all-weather combat capability.

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Its performance was tested in an extensive flight campaign from the Indian Armed Forces’ high-altitude bases in the Himalayas.

The LCH can perform combat search and rescue (CSAR), destruction of enemy air defenses (DEAD), counter insurgency (CI) operations, counter slow moving aircraft and remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), high altitude bunker busting operations, counter insurgency operations in jungle and urban environments and support to ground forces, and will be a powerful platform to meet the operational requirements of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Army (IA).

State-of-the-art technologies and systems compatible with stealth features such as visual, auditory, radar and infrared signature reduction have been integrated into the LCH, and it has a reinforced structure that gives it significant crashworthiness for enhanced survivability, with the aim of deploying it in combat roles to meet emerging needs over the next 3 to 4 decades.

More and more «Make in India»

Under the «Make in India» policy driven by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, India is continuously increasing its capability to indigenously design, develop and manufacture advanced cutting-edge technologies and systems in the defense sector.

Several key aviation technologies, such as the glass cockpit and composite airframe structure, are locally manufactured. The future series production version will include more modern and indigenous systems.

The manufacture of LCH by HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) will give a new impetus to the initiative and encourage indigenization of defense production and defense industry in the country. LCH production will reduce the dependence on combat helicopter imports in the country.

Light combat helicopters are already on the import embargo list (action taken by the government to encourage domestic industry). With its versatile combat characteristics, the LCH presents an interesting export potential.