India's first indigenous combat helicopter capable of participating in anti-Naxal and counter terrorism operations on Sunday took to the skies, marking its first official flight at the HAL airport here. The Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), designed and developed indigenously by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in four years since the project began in 2006, is likely to be ready for induction by the Army and Air Force before 2014. Witnessed by IAF Vice Chief Air Marshal PK Barbora and Defence Production Secretary RK Singh, the 10-minute flight display caught the attention of those present at the venue, with the 5.8-tonne chopper showcasing its manoeuvrability and stability, including one of the most difficult moves -- reverse slide. Defence Minister A K Antony and IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal P V Naik did not attend the event in view of the tragic air crash of a civilian flight in Mangalore yesterday, which claimed 158 lives. He said very few countries around the world had the capability to indigenise a helicopter of this class, but at the same time cautioned HAL that it must learn from its past mistakes and not repeat them. It can be used effectively by paramilitary forces in their anti-Maoist operations in Central India and by Army in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast. For that purpose, the LCH is armed with 20-mm turret gun, air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, anti-radiation missiles, 70-mm rockets, and cluster or iron bombs, defence officials said. It also has Nuclear-Biological-Chemical (NBC) attack protection, electronic warfare suite and counter-measures when it comes under enemy fire. The chopper has advanced features such as night operation capability, armour protection, a glass cockpit with tandem seating for two pilots and stealth features. The helicopter, powered by twin Shakti engines developed by HAL in association with French Turbomeca, can achieve a top speed of 268 kmph and has a range of 550 km with internal fuel tanks. It can extend its range by another 250 km using drop tanks, they said. For enhanced survivability of both the aircraft and crew, LCH would have a crash-worthy bottom structure, tail wheel landing gear and pressurised cockpit with NBC filters. Indigenous combat chopper takes to skies [youtube]tzXVx1IMxv4[/youtube] LCH VIDEO Light combat Helicopter
This is an another step to victory, in the Indian Armed forces !, we have relied, on the traditional Mi-35 for years, and they have failed us, in high altitude warfare during the Kargil war, now India has over come another hurdle that the Indian army has been facing, because of the lack of Air Support they are getting at high altitudes is no more a problem!! Jai Hind
Boy.. we do require them ASAP and in numbers. With 20-something Hinds and thin bodied chetaks and cheetahs and what with fatty weaponised Dhruvs we are surely short on slick Attack helos.
