The Indian Air Force (IAF) inducted the first fleet of indigenously-built Light Combat Helicopter, named Prachand, which has been developed primarily for mountain warfare after a requirement for it was felt during the Kargil war in 1999.

The fleet comprising four helicopters was inducted into the IAF at a ceremony at the Jodhpur Air Force Station in presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and other senior military officials.

Development of LCH

• In March, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the procurement of 15 indigenously developed Limited Series Production (LSP) LCH at a cost of Rs 3,887 crore.

• The defence ministry had said 10 helicopters would be for the IAF and five for the Indian Army.

• Developed by the state-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), the 5.8-tonne twin-engine gunship chopper is armed with air-to-air missiles, 20 mm turret guns, rocket systems and other weapons.

• The LCH would be effective in hitting enemy infantry, tanks, bunkers, drones and other assets in high-altitude regions.

• The LCH has similarities with 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.

• The LCH 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 used against slow-moving aircraft and remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) of adversaries.

• State-of-the-art technologies and systems compatible with stealth features such as reduced visual, aural, radar and IR signatures and crashworthiness features for better survivability have been integrated into the LCH for deployment in combat roles.

• Several key aviation technologies like a glass cockpit and composite airframe structure have been indigenised.

• The future series-production version will consist of further modern and indigenous systems.

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