Army wants to procure 90-95 Light Combat Helicopters for border deployment: Army Chief
By Anish Kumar | First Published Feb 14, 2023, 11:48 PM ISTThe Army, which is currently operating with around 250 Cheetak and Cheetah helicopters, wants to replace them with Light Combat Helicopters and Light Utility Helicopters.
Aiming to improve operational air capability, the Indian Army plans to induct helicopters with combat capability both in the northern and western borders. The Army, which is currently operating with around 250 Cheetak and Cheetah helicopters, wants to replace them with Light Combat Helicopters and Light Utility Helicopters.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Aero India 2023 in Bengaluru, Indian Army chief General Manoj Pande said that the Army wants to procure 90-95 Light Combat Helicopters for mountain warfare.
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"We are also looking for about 110 light utility helicopters to replace the Cheetah and Chetak choppers." On Apache, he said: “We expect that few of the six ordered Apache helicopters to be delivered in the early part of next year."
Image: Light Utility Helicopter. Photograph: PIB Photo
On the Advanced Light Helicopter, Gen Pande added that the Army has received the first lot from the HAL but sought some changes in the choppers.
Army Aviation has three Brigades at Leh, Missamari and Jodhpur operating around 145 indigenous Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH). Out of 145, 75 are of the Rudra weaponised variants. Besides, around 250 are Cheetah and Chetak. The Army will also be inducting 25 ALH Mk-III in two years, which are on order.
He also said that the Army had identified around 80 deals worth Rs 15,000 crore.
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