HAL LCH| Updates and Discussions

[Foxbat Alok]

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited starts series production of the Light Combat Helicopter


Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the Indian state-owned aerospace and defence company, will start series production of new Light Combat helicopter (LCH). That was reported by timesofindia.indiatimes.com.

HAL has started limited series production and intends to manufacture five LCH helicopters.

“LCH is ready, we are integrating its weapons, we tried rockets and it was good, we need to try missiles ATGM – anti-tank guided missile, (these) are the ones which we are integrating and we just have to demonstrate that,” chairman HAL Suvarna Raju said.

HAL carried out hot and high-altitude trials of the third prototype of the indigenously developed attack chopper with the participation of pilots from the Indian Air Force and Army.

The light combat helicopter (LCH) was designed and built by Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL). It is an attack helicopter.

The LCH was developed to meet the requirements of the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army, who have ordered 62 and 114 units respectively. Its maiden flight took place in Bangalore in March 2010.

 

[Papa Dragon]

India’s Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), currently under development by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for service in the Indian Army (IA) and Indian Air Force (IAF) is undergoing weapons integration, according to media reports.

“LCH is ready, we are integrating its weapons, we tried rockets and it was good, we need to try missiles ATGM — anti-tank guided missile, (these) are the ones which we are integrating and we just have to demonstrate that,” the chairman of HAL, Suvarnu Raja told The Times of India.

HAL has so far been extensively testing four LCH prototypes. The third LCH helicopter recently completed hot and high altitude trials at Leh in Jammu and Kashmir. The LCH prototypes have been undergoing extensive weapons trials beginning in July, as I reported elsewhere

An LCH prototype also successfully fired 70 millimeter rockets during the 2016 iteration of the IAF’s Iron Fist military exercise held in March in the Thar Desert in Pokhran, Rajasthan in northwestern India. “The flight trials were successful with respect to system integration, structural integrity, noise and vibration, functionality of system and safe separation of rockets,” Indian Minister of State for Defense Rao Inderjit Singh told the Indian Parliament in May, in reference to the helicopter’s performance during Iron Fist.

The armored attack helicopter’s weapon suite includes a 20 millimeter French Giat-Nexter turret gun, four Belgium-made 70 mm anti-tank guided missiles (or, once operational, the Indian Helina anti-tank missile, which is still in development), and MBDA Mistral-2 air-to-air missiles. SAAB South Africa is providing the LCH’s electronic warfare suite.

Speaking to the Times of India, Raja also revealed that HAL is undertaking limited serial production of the LCH. “We have launched a limited series production, with a confidence and hope that we get definite orders on this. We have also inquiries on this platform from other countries, and so we will start making five helicopters this year,” Raju said.

The Indian Army’s Army Aviation Corps (AAC) has expressed its intention of acquiring 114 helicopters and the IAF 65. However, no contract has been signed so far. “It has to turn into a contract between the Services and HAL,” according to Raju.

The history of the LCH project goes back to the lack of an adequate light helicopter gunship during the 1999 Kargil War:

The LCH, which made its maiden flight in May 2010, has been specifically developed in response to the lack of an attack helicopter capable of performing high-altitude operations during the 1999 Kargil War. Consequently, the LCH, a derivative of the HAL Dhruv helicopter, has been primarily designed for high-altitude warfare – HAL and French engine-maker, Turbomeca jointly designed a special engine optimized for extreme altitudes – and has an operational ceiling limit of 6,000–6,500 meters (19,700–21,300 feet).

The AAC helicopter fleet is only at 70 percent of its authorized strengths, according to the Indian Ministry of Defense.

http://thediplomat.com/2016/10/indias-light-combat-helicopter-undergoing-weapons-integration/

http://www.defencenews.in/article/India’s-Light-Combat-Helicopter-enters-Series-Production-28914

 

[Indo-Pak]

Bad days came for Defence agents...

Now Mr Defence Minister is twissting hands of Armed forces..

 

[Eminent Mainstream Media]

Expected Orders for LCA to be of 83 planes in Mk1A configuration over the initial order of 20 Mk1 planes already ordered-

Expected Initial orders of LCH to be of 10 units for the Army and 5 units for the Air force- Industrial scale production planned to be of 20 units per year from 2018-

 

[Hindustani78]

Updated: Nov 07, 2016, 10.23 PM IST


The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) led by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today approved the procurement
of 15 light combat helicopters

 

[Indian_gorkha]

HAL LCH TD4, with LCA

That looks magnificent. Good efforts by HAL.

 

[Water Car Engineer]

IAF Rudra

 

[Abingdonboy]

IAF Rudra

That helmet cued chin gun though......

 

[Water Car Engineer]

IAF Rudra

This one has air particle separators.

Another IAF Rudra

 

[Water Car Engineer]

HAL LCH TD2 in LEH Trials

 

[#hydra#]

HAL LCH TD2 in LEH Trials

What's the actual status of LCH now?is it still under development?

 

[Akasa]

IAF Rudra

The addition of the chin gun was a great decision. It enhances the versatility of the Rudra by freeing up one of its wing hardpoints for other weaponry.

 

[nik22]

Hi Tejas is often compares with JF17 . All know that tejas is 4th generation jet while Jf17 is old 3rd generation.but few things are good 8n jf17 too.

Check this it is a description of both jet

It is a thread about LCH , not LCA

 

[Akasa]

Another helicopter with world record holding power
It is attacking helicopter

The LCH has a higher power-to-weight ratio than the Z-10 (363 W/kg vs 260 W/kg) so superior high-altitude performance, agility, climb rate, and perhaps even payload are to be expected. However, this is bound to change when the Z-10 upgrades with the WZ-16 turboshaft (which is set to make its maiden flight aboard the Z-15/H175/AC352 by December 20, 2016).

 

[Water Car Engineer]

What's the actual status of LCH now?is it still under development?

Weapon trials, will be doing ATGM, especially. Going to be going to limited series production.