Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) announced on June 17 that the Ministry of Defence has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the procurement of 156 Light Combat Helicopters (LCH), marking a significant step towards enhancing India's defence capabilities.
The official statement from HAL confirmed the RFP issuance, stating, "We would like to inform that the Ministry of Defence has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for procurement of 156 Light Combat Helicopters."
According to HAL, out of the 156 LCHs requested by the Defence Ministry, 90 will be procured for the Indian Army (IA), while the remaining 66 will be for the Indian Air Force (IAF), as per their official statement.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who recently began his second consecutive term, emphasized the goal of strengthening India's security apparatus and achieving self-reliance in defence manufacturing. He stated, "Armed Forces modernisation and the welfare of the soldiers, both serving and retired, will continue to be our main focus."
Key Features of the Light Combat Helicopter:
The LCH, also known as Prachand, shares similarities with the Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv. It incorporates numerous stealth features, armoured protection systems, night attack capability, and crash-worthy landing gear for enhanced survivability.
The helicopter is equipped with agility, manoeuvrability, extended range, high altitude performance, and all-weather combat capability. It can perform various roles including combat search and rescue (CSAR), destruction of enemy air defence (DEAD), and counter-insurgency (CI) operations.
In addition to high-altitude bunker-busting and counter-insurgency operations in jungles and urban environments, the LCH supports ground forces. It can also engage slow-moving aircraft and remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs) used by adversaries.
The LCH incorporates several advanced aviation technologies such as a glass cockpit and composite airframe structure, all of which are developed indigenously.
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