LCH is culmination of 20 years' of hard work: Rajnath

Story by  ATV | Posted by  Aasha Khosa • 1 Years ago
Light Combat Helicopter is ready to take off to the skies with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on board (Courtesy: Twitter of ANI)
Light Combat Helicopter is ready to take off to the skies with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on board (Courtesy: Twitter of ANI)

 

Jodhpur (Rajasthan)

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today said the need for a combat helicopter was seriously felt by the armed forces during the Kargil War and the Light combat helicopter LCH built by the Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) is a culmination of two decades of effort to address this need.

He said this while formally inducting the indigenously-developed Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) into the Indian Air Force at a ceremony held at Air Force Station, Jodhpur. LCH would be inducted into the 143 Helicopter Unit. The minister flew in one of these helicopters.

Addressing the ceremony, Singh said induction of LCH not only adds to the combat capability of the Air Force but is also a great leap towards the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

News agency ANI shared this video of the LCA's take-off at Jodhpur:

It’s a state-of-the-art modern combat helicopter, primarily designed for deployment in high-altitude regions. LCH is the only attack helicopter in the world that can land and take off at an altitude of 5,000 m with a considerable load of weapons and fuel.

This helicopter is powered by two Shakti engines and is equipped with stealth features, all-weather combat capability, armour protection, night attack capability, and crash-worthy landing gear.

The narrow fuselage with tandem cockpit configuration makes LCH extremely maneuverable and agile. Stealth features like low radar cross section and minimal infrared signature allow it to go behind enemy lines undetected and attack with precision.

LCH has a range of 550 km and an operational ceiling of 6500 m. It is armed with air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, 70 mm rockets, and a 20 mm gun. It boasts of a full glass cockpit, an Electronic Warfare suite, and a helmet-mounted display for the flying crew.

LCH can perform a range of roles, including combat search and rescue, destruction of enemy air defense, and counter-insurgency operations in the jungle and urban environments. The Cabinet Committee on Security approved the purchase of 15 indigenous LCH helicopters in March this year.

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The induction of LCH in the Indian Air Force is expected to provide further impetus to Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan. Under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan, the government is encouraging indigenous design, development, and manufacture of defense equipment in the country to reduce their import.