HAL LCH Passes High Altitude Cold-Weather Tests at Leh - Powered by Ardiden 1H1 (Shakti) Engine

[Chanakya's_Chant]

Drones to meet their nemesis in Light Combat Helicopter

The Initial Operational Clearance for ALH is expected by this year-end and weapon tests are expected by October this year. UAV hunting is the many roles the ALH is expected to don, say test pilots.​

BENGALURU: Drones may be the biggest threats to national security, camouflaging themselves from radars and moving too fast for copters and too slow for a conventional fighter aircraft. But a drone hunter is round the corner, with the under-development Light Combat Helicopter Technology Demonstrator 3 (LCH TD-3) slated to be capable of hunting down Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV).

The Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) for ALH is expected by this year-end and weapon tests are expected by October this year. UAV hunting is the many roles the ALH is expected to don, say test pilots.

Calling the programme a game changer, Wing Commander (Retd) Unni Pillai, Rotary Chief Test Pilot at HAL, said: "This is one of the first attack helicopters built for high-altitude warfare. There are only three countries in the world who need it - Pakistan, China and us. Both their programmes haven't taken off."

The LCH has already undergone a 'cold weather soak' in Leh where the chopper's systems performance were tested in -20 degree temperatures. "We will now be taking the chopper to Jodhpur for a hot soak (high temperature)," Group Captain (retd) and test pilot Hari Nair said, adding that the chopper will be taken to Leh again in the summer to validate performance.

The mean machine will have an elaborate arsenal: 20mm Turret Guns, 70mm rocket-launchers and Air-to-Air missiles among others. It is also expected to include Air-to-Ground anti-tank missiles. The choice for this category is the third generation fire-and-forget' anti-tank missile developed in DRDO - Nag.

The Nag version for LCH will be called Helina (Helicopter Nag). "This is under development. Once developed, we will test and integrate it into LCH," Pillai said, adding: "The difficult part of the process is software integration. All the weapons were from different manufactures and it was difficult to integrate the software."

The chopper will also have additional systems like anti-radar and sensors for high-precision operations.

Although it is intended to be manufactured primarily for the Indian Air Force, the Indian Army is trying to outrun IAF by ordering more than 110 helicopters, he added.

Source:- Drones to meet their nemesis in Light Combat Helicopter - The Times of India

 

[AMCA]

TD-3 is such a sexy mean machine.. Looking forward for the Production Variant. Never thought HAL could be good at painting stuffs.

This will seriously have some good export potential. HAL will be forced to open multiple production lines for this Helicopter as both the Indian Army and Indian Airforce have orders enough to keep the existing lines busy for over half a decade.

 

[Chanakya's_Chant]

Ardiden 1H1 engine to power HAL LCH

Turbomeca's Ardiden 1H1 engine will power the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) being developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), it has been announced.

The 1H1 engine to be used in the LCH was EASA-certified in 2009. Over 250 LCH units with this engine have already been produced under the designation 'Shakti'.

Turbomeca's Ardiden 1U engine will also be used to power the new HAL Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), a three-tonne single-engine aircraft. Its Ardiden 1 engine family develops 1,400shp.

The first bench testing of the Ardiden 1U single-engine variant took place in December 2014. The first models of this helicopter were delivered to HAL by the end of 2014. The engine is scheduled for EASA type-certification in 2017.

Olivier Andriès, CEO and chairman, Turbomeca, said: 'Our participation in the LCH and LUH programme builds on our track-record, established since 2003, of cooperating on the Shakti project.'

Turbomeca operates through its Turbomeca India facility, supporting military customers and 200 civil engines in operation. Some 1,500 Turbomeca engines, most of them locally produced by HAL, are operational in the country at present.

Source:- Ardiden 1H1 engine to power HAL LCH - News - Shephard

 

[Echo_419]

Drones to meet their nemesis in Light Combat Helicopter

The Initial Operational Clearance for ALH is expected by this year-end and weapon tests are expected by October this year. UAV hunting is the many roles the ALH is expected to don, say test pilots.​

BENGALURU: Drones may be the biggest threats to national security, camouflaging themselves from radars and moving too fast for copters and too slow for a conventional fighter aircraft. But a drone hunter is round the corner, with the under-development Light Combat Helicopter Technology Demonstrator 3 (LCH TD-3) slated to be capable of hunting down Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV).

The Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) for ALH is expected by this year-end and weapon tests are expected by October this year. UAV hunting is the many roles the ALH is expected to don, say test pilots.

Calling the programme a game changer, Wing Commander (Retd) Unni Pillai, Rotary Chief Test Pilot at HAL, said: "This is one of the first attack helicopters built for high-altitude warfare. There are only three countries in the world who need it - Pakistan, China and us. Both their programmes haven't taken off."

The LCH has already undergone a 'cold weather soak' in Leh where the chopper's systems performance were tested in -20 degree temperatures. "We will now be taking the chopper to Jodhpur for a hot soak (high temperature)," Group Captain (retd) and test pilot Hari Nair said, adding that the chopper will be taken to Leh again in the summer to validate performance.

The mean machine will have an elaborate arsenal: 20mm Turret Guns, 70mm rocket-launchers and Air-to-Air missiles among others. It is also expected to include Air-to-Ground anti-tank missiles. The choice for this category is the third generation fire-and-forget' anti-tank missile developed in DRDO - Nag.

The Nag version for LCH will be called Helina (Helicopter Nag). "This is under development. Once developed, we will test and integrate it into LCH," Pillai said, adding: "The difficult part of the process is software integration. All the weapons were from different manufactures and it was difficult to integrate the software."

The chopper will also have additional systems like anti-radar and sensors for high-precision operations.

Although it is intended to be manufactured primarily for the Indian Air Force, the Indian Army is trying to outrun IAF by ordering more than 110 helicopters, he added.

Source:- Drones to meet their nemesis in Light Combat Helicopter - The Times of India

This product has massive export potential & we should market it to friendly countries

 

[AMCA]

This product has massive export potential & we should market it to friendly countries

Indeed!! We need to take this baby to airshows around the globe and increase its already existent export potential. May be we find a customer for this in friendly countries like Sri Lanka, Vietnam,Philippines,Iran etc

 

[Echo_419]

Indeed!! We need to take this baby to airshows around the globe and increase its already existent export potential. May be we find a customer for this in friendly countries like Sri Lanka, Vietnam,Philippines,Iran etc

Also many countries can use this baby for counter terrorism

 

[SrNair]

An impressive weapon.It has good export potential .Our Heli production is maturing very well

 

[The_Sidewinder]

Oh my. Thats a sexy mean machine.

 

[trident2010]

Good news !!

 

[Chanakya's_Chant]

During development of LCH, HAL Board sanctioned LCH related projects, namely, Modified Rotor System, Manufacturing of TD-3 & TD-4 for acceleration of development flight testing, indigenous development of Integrated Avionics and Display System (lADS) & Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS) in order to reduce the dependency on foreign vendors and develop indigenous technology.

From Aero India 2015 -

 

[Chanakya's_Chant]

 

[Nilesh Singh]

TD-3 is such a sexy mean machine.. Looking forward for the Production Variant. Never thought HAL could be good at painting stuffs.

This will seriously have some good export potential. HAL will be forced to open multiple production lines for this Helicopter as both the Indian Army and Indian Airforce have orders enough to keep the existing lines busy for over half a decade.

Oh man, you have spoken before me. LCH TD-3 just look out an out SEXY. I have just download this baby for my system.

 

[axisofevil]

There is too much glass in the cockpit. The second pilot is not well protected.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

There is too much glass in the cockpit. The second pilot is not well protected.

No big deal! He can wear a chain-mail suit of armor.

 

[axisofevil]

No big deal! He can wear a chain-mail suit of armor.

LOL. The plane looks great though. I am just wondering how much input is there between industry and the airforce? Didn't any defence officials bring it up?