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Air Force gets country’s first indigenous Light Combat Helicopter

October 3, ie today, is very important in the direction of becoming self-reliant in the country’s air-power and defense sector. The Light Combat Helicopter (LACH) was formally inducted into the Air Force on Monday in the presence of Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. The special thing is that the first indigenous attack helicopters of the Indian Air Force will be deployed in Jodhpur, close to the LCH border.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by PM Modi had approved the purchase of 15 indigenous Light Attack Helicopters (LCH) in March this year. These helicopters have been purchased from HAL for 3387 crores. Of these, 10 helicopters are for the Air Force and 05 for the Indian Army (Army).

LCH is the country’s first attack helicopter
Before the Air Force, the Army has made the indigenous Combat Helicopter, LCH, a part of its arsenal. On Thursday, the Indian Army said that HAL has handed over two Light Combat Helicopters to the LCH Aviation Corps. LCH is the country’s first attack helicopter, which has been prepared by the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

What are the advantages of LCH?

  • The Light Combat Helicopter ie LCH Helicopter weighs about 6 tons, due to which it is very light while the Apache helicopter taken from America weighs about 10 tons. Due to the reduced weight, the LCH can takeoff and landing with its missiles and other weapons even in the high altitude area.
  • The LCH attack helicopter is equipped with ‘Mistral’ air-to-air missile and air-to-ground missile specially sourced from France.
  • The LCH has two pods of 12-12 rockets of 70 mm each.
  • Apart from this, a 20 mm gun is installed in the nose of the LCH, which can rotate in any direction in 110 degrees.
  • All the features of the cockpit are displayed on the helmet of the pilot.
  • India had made up its mind to prepare the LCH indigenous attack helicopter since the Kargil war. Because at that time India did not have such an attack helicopter that could destroy enemy bunkers by going at a height of 15-16 thousand feet. This project was approved in 2006.
  • After the hard work of the last 15 years, this Light Combat Helicopter has been prepared.
  • What is the difference between Apache and LCH?
  • India may have recently purchased a very advanced attack helicopter Apache from the US, but Apache also has to face a lot of difficulties in take-off and landing on the peaks of Kargil and Siachen. Due to being extremely light and having special rotors,
  • LCH can carry out its mission even on such high peaks.

What is the specialty?

According to HAL i.e. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the LCH has such stealth features that it will not be easily caught in the enemy’s radar. If an enemy helicopter or fighter jet locks its missile on the LCH, it can also dodge it. Its body is armored so that there will be no significant effect of firing on it. Even the bullet will not have any effect on the rotors.

First choice on LAC too

Trial of these indigenous LCH helicopters has been done from Siachen Glacier to Rajasthan desert before being fully prepared for the Indian Air Force. During this, a sufficient amount of fuel and weapons were also engaged in the LCH. Even before formally joining the Air Force, two LCH helicopters were deployed on the LAC adjoining eastern Ladakh.

A special responsibility was assigned to the test pilot for this mission. The responsibility was to destroy a target on the ground with his attack helicopter from the sky. For this, he had to simulate in the sky i.e. trial-test. which he did successfully. This attack helicopter has been designed to destroy enemy army tanks and terrorists’ bases by raining fire from the sky.