“The induction of LCH underlines the fact that just as the country trusts the IAF, the force equally trusts indigenous equipment,” the minister said, citing the examples of the home-grown Tejas fighters, Akash surface-to-air missile systems and Dhruv advanced light helicopters.
Overall, IAF and Army require an estimated 160 LCHs in the coming years. The Cabinet Committee on Security had cleared the first contract for 15 LCHs (10 IAF and 5 Army), at a cost of Rs 3,887 crore, along with infrastructure sanctions worth Rs 377 crore, in March this year. Defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics has produced eight of the 15 choppers till now, of which four have been inducted by IAF.
The first LCH for the Army, in turn, was handed over on September 29. “The raising of the Army’s first LCH squadron commenced in June. As per the delivery schedule, four more LCHs will be handed over by October and the squadron will become operational in the eastern theatre in the first week of November,” an Army officer said.
These LCHs have 45% indigenous content by value, which will progressively increase to more than 55% for the next version. The LCH is touted as the only attack helicopter in its weight class in the world which can land and take-off at an altitude of 5,000-metre or 16,400-feet with a considerable load of weapons and fuel.
The phased induction of these 5.8-tonne choppers will boost the capabilities of the Army and IAF against enemy infantry troops, tanks, bunkers and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) in high-altitude areas as well as in other terrains.