Explained | The Indian-made LCH ‘Prachand’ and its significance

Tracing the historic journey of the indigenous Light Combat Helicopter, its development and importance.

The story so far: The indigenously developed Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) ‘Prachand’, meaning fierce was formally inducted into the Indian Air Force at the Jodhpur airbase on Monday. 

Designed, developed and extensively test-flown for over a decade by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), the multi-role attack helicopter has been customised as per the requirements of the Indian armed forces to operate both in desert terrains and high-altitude sectors. The LCH is the only attack helicopter in the world that can land and take off at an altitude of 5,000 metres (16,400 ft), which makes it ideal to operate in the high altitude areas of the Siachen glacier. It is also capable of firing a range of air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles and can destroy air defence operations of the enemy.  

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who presided over the formal event, termed the induction of the LCH into the Air Force as an “important milestone” reflecting India’s capability in defence production. “The LCH meets the requirements of modern warfare and necessary quality parameters under varied conditions of operations. This versatile helicopter perfectly meets the needs of our armed forces in various terrains and as such LCH is an ideal platform for both our Army and Air Force,” the Minister said. IAF chief Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhary said the induction of LCH adds unique capabilities to the IAF’s combat potential. 

The LCH project can be traced to the 1999 Kargil war when the armed forces felt the need for a dedicated platform capable of operating at high altitudes and delivering precision strikes as the existing attack choppers couldn’t effectively hit targets. This laid the foundation for the research and development of an India-made attack helicopter.

In October 2006, the government sanctioned the design and development of the LCH. The Indian Army joined the programme in December 2013. The HAL built four LCH prototypes — technology demonstrators or TDs — and flight-tested them with over 1,600 total flights logging 1,239 flight hours. The helicopter prototypes were tested for around a decade under difficult conditions including sea trials in Chennai, extreme cold weather in Leh, desert conditions in Jodhpur and high altitudes in Siachen.

The ground run was first carried out in February 2010 and the first prototype ‘TD-1’ took its maiden flight on March 29, 2010, as the crew carried out low-speed, low-altitude checks on the systems. The second prototype, TD-2, was fitted with weapons. It was unveiled in 2011 and took its first flight in the same year on June 28. The TD-3 made its maiden flight in November 2014 and the fourth prototype was tested a year later. During its testing, the LCH landed at a forward base in the region, 4,700 metres above sea level and 500-kg load.

After extensive flight testing in diverse terrains and weather conditions, the LCH received initial operation clearance on August 26, 2017. It was declared ready for production in February 2020. A new LCH production hangar at the Helicopter Division of HAL with a production capacity of 30 choppers was inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Over a year later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over the LCH to the Indian Air Force.