15 lethal Light Combat Helicopters ordered for Indian Army, IAF

The indigenously designed and developed LCH Limited Series Production is equipped to support ground forces and be a potent platform to meet the Indian Air Force and Indian Army's operational requirements.

Image: Light Combat Helicopter

The Cabinet Committee on Security on Wednesday cleared the procurement of 15 Light Combat Helicopters Limited Series Production at the cost of Rs 3,887 crore.

The decision was taken during the CCS meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. 

The indigenously designed and developed LCH Limited Series Production is equipped to support ground forces and be a potent platform to meet the Indian Air Force and Indian Army's operational requirements.

The agile and manoeuvrable LCH LSP has an extended range and can perform high-altitude operations around the clock. The helicopters, manufactured by state-owned aircraft maker Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, have all-weather combat capability.

The helicopter can perform multiple roles, including counter-insurgency operations in the jungle and urban environments, combat search and rescue, enemy air-defence destruction, taking on slow-moving aircraft and remotely piloted aircraft and high-altitude bunker-busting operations.

Image: Light Combat Helicopters in action

Packed with state-of-the-art technologies, the combat helicopter has 45 per cent indigenous content. This is slated to increase to over 55 per cent for the series production version. Among the major technologies that have been indigenised include glass cockpit and composite airframe structure.

The LCH also has stealth features like reduced radar, visual, aural and IR signatures and crashworthiness features that can cater to the air combat needs of the forces for up four decades. 

Image: Light Combat Helicopter

Not only will the production of LCH reduce import dependence on combat helicopters in the country but also give a major impetus to the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative and boost the indigenisation of defence production and the defence industry. LCH also has export capability considering the versatile features in-built for combat missions.