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This decision was achieved thanks to a dynamic common work cycle between the two companies, following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on 8th July 2022 and an agreement on workshare reached between the two partners during Aero India 2023.

ALSO READ: HAL and Safran sign MoU to extend cooperation for new helicopter engines

The collaboration the Indian and French Aerospace majors is clearly supporting the development of the aerospace strategic roadmap between the two countries while once again endorsing the Indian Government’s vision of “Atmanirbhar Bharat” – particularly in defence technologies. Safran Helicopter Engines and HAL see this joint venture as a natural further step in their robust, well balanced and growing relationship.

Mr. Cedric Goubet, Safran Helicopter Engines CEO, said: “We at Safran Helicopter Engines are truly elated to partner with HAL and India to craft this new turboshaft engine joint venture set to address the Indian market and also future export opportunities. It marks a turning point in not only the longstanding relationship between our two companies but also between India and France. Together we will remain fully dedicated to our customers in India, proud to designing and producing new efficient helicopter engines.”

Mr. C.B. Ananthkrishnan, CMD, HAL said: “Safran Helicopter Engines has been our valued partner for several decades. We both have embarked on a new journey, leveraging HAL’s experience in manufacturing of more than 15 types of aircraft and helicopter engines and Safran Helicopter Engines’ expertise in desiging turboshaft engines. The objective is to co-develop and co-produce turboshaft engines in India – with immediate focus on IMRH and DBMRH. This partnership will engage and harness the Indian Defence manufacturing ecosystem towards realising Atmanirbhar Bharat vision of our Honble PM”.

Safran Helicopter Engines and HAL already have multiple successful partnerships on helicopter powerplants, including the Shakti engine, which powers HAL-produced helicopters, comprising the Dhruv, Rudra and the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH Prachand). More than 500 Shakti engines have already been produced. The new joint venture further extends the sphere of current cooperation and explores opportunities for strategic business collaboration that leverage the complementary talents and capabilities of the two aviation firms.

Through HE-MRO joint venture in Goa, Safran Helicopter Engines and HAL will also provide MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) services for TM333 and Shakti engines in the service of Indian Armed Forces.

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Bengaluru-headquartered HAL plans to produce more than 1,000 helicopters in the range of 3-15 tonne with a total business of more than Rs 4 lakh crore over a period of 20 years at this facility in Gubbi taluk, officials said.

The factory, spread across 615 acres for which the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone in 2016, would initially manufacture Light Utility Helicopters (LUH)).

It will enable India to meet its entire requirement of helicopters without import and giving much-needed fillip to the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ in helicopter design, development, and manufacture, they said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and senior officials of Ministry of Defence were among those present on the occasion.

“It is a dedicated new greenfield helicopter factory which will enhance India’s capacity and ecosystem to build helicopters,” Singh said.

PM Modi unveiled the LUH, which has been flight tested. The LUH is an indigenously designed and developed three-tonne class, single-engine multipurpose utility helicopter. Initially, the factory will produce around 30 helicopters per year and can be enhanced to 60 and then 90 every year in a phased manner, according to the Defence Ministry.

The factory will be augmented to produce other helicopters such as Light Combat Helicopters (LCHs) and Indian Multirole Helicopters (IMRHs). It will also be used for maintenance, repair and overhaul of LCH, LUH, Civil Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and IMRH in the future.

Potential exports of civil LUH will also be catered to from this factory, which is being equipped with state-of-the-art Industry 4.0 standard tools and techniques for its operations, officials said.

The proximity of the factory, with the existing HAL facilities in Bengaluru, will boost the aerospace manufacturing ecosystem in the region and support skill and infrastructure development such as schools, colleges and residential areas, it was noted.

The factory is fully operational after the establishment of facilities like heli-runway, flight hangar, final assembly hangar, structure assembly hangar, air traffic control and various supporting service facilities, officials said.

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The indigenous Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), capable of destroying enemy air defence, conducting counter insurgency strikes and much more, was formally inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) at the Jodhpur air base on 3 October. The fleet of four helicopters was inducted at a ceremony in presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and other senior military officials. The helicopter will be called ‘Prachand’, which means fierce.

The HAL designed and manufactured LCH has been inducted in the Jodhpur-based 143 Helicopter Unit of the IAF.

The LCH is the only attack helicopter in the world which can land and take off at an altitude of 5,000 meters with a considerable load of weapons and fuel, meeting the specific requirements laid out by the Indian Armed Forces.

Ownership of Attack Helicopters

The Army and the Air Force have fought over the ownership of attack helicopters since the venerable Mi-25 Akbar was first inducted into the IAF in 1984 and again when the AH-64 Apache was purchased. It appears that the IAF and the Army have settled for duality of ownership. The orders placed for Prachanda are testimony to this duality. Of the 15 LCH sanctioned by the CCS on 30 March 2022, ten of them were for the IAF and five for the Army.

Features of the Light Combat Helicopter

LCH has the maximum take-off weight of 5.8 tonnes, maximum speed of 268 kilometers per hour, range of 550 kilometers, endurance of over three hours and service ceiling — the maximum density altitude to which it can fly — of 6.5 kilometres.

The helicopter uses radar-absorbing material to lower radar signature and has a significantly crash-proof structure and landing gear. A pressurised cabin offers protection from nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) contingencies.

The helicopter is equipped with a countermeasure dispensing system that protects it from enemy radars or infrared seekers of the enemy missiles. As far as weapons systems are concerned, a 20 mm turret gun, 70 mm rockets and air-to-air missile systems are onboard.

LCH is powered by two French-origin Shakti engines manufactured by the HAL.

With these features, the LCH has the capabilities of combat roles such as destruction of enemy air defence, counter insurgency warfare, combat search and rescue, anti-tank, and counter surface force operations.

The LCH is also armed with a 20 mm nose gun and 70 mm rockets, which are not guided ones.

The LCH is designed to have systems in place to minimise external kinetic and electronic threats.

The LCH, which has a combat radius of 500 km and a service ceiling of a whopping 21,000 ft, is designed with stealth features such as reduced visual, aural, radar and infrared (IR) signatures and crashworthiness features for better survivability.

The LCH has advanced features like helmet-mounted sights, forward-looking infra-red suppression systems, flares and chaff, and glass cockpits.  It is also equipped with self-sealing fuel tanks, bullet-proof windshields, and damage-tolerant main rotor blades to withstand small arms fire.

Integration of Weapons Suite

Work is still in progress and weapon systems will be integrated soon. For the present, the LCH lacks its main arsenal and protection suites for now and will take time to be fully operational.

The attack helicopter — also known as tank buster — will get its anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) only by mid-2023 and while it is integrated with air-to-air missile launchers, the missile has not been ordered yet.

The ATGM intended to be integrated with Prachand is the indigenous Helina, whose air force version is called Dhruvastra. The testing of Helina/Dhruvastra, made by DRDO, is currently on and that it will be integrated on the LCH by mid-next year as the plan is to fast track the process.

While the helicopter comes integrated with the European air-to-air missile Mistral 2 launchers, manufactured by the MBDA, the missiles have not been ordered yet. With a minimum range of 500 m, Mistral can take down airborne targets of up to 6.5 km.

The LCH is yet to get the electronic warfare suite unlike the weaponised version of Advanced Light Helicopter ‘Rudra’ which comes with Saab’s Integrated Defensive Aids Suite (IDAS). The IDAS system was first integrated with the Army and Air Force’s version of ALH Dhruv in 2005. With radar warning receivers supported by the missile and laser warning, IDAS allows the aircraft’s sensors to detect radar missile and laser threats from any position relative to the aircraft. Once a hostile target is detected, the system selects a semi or completely automated response with countermeasures dispensing to fool the incoming projectile or the radar. The plan was to have an indigenous system on board the LCH designed by DRDO, but it is a work in progress.

Genesis of the Light Combat Helicopter

It was during the 1999 Kargil war that the need was first felt for a homegrown lightweight assault helicopter that could hold precision strikes in all Indian battlefield scenarios. This meant a craft that could operate in very hot deserts and also in very cold high altitudes, in counter-insurgency scenarios to full-scale battle conditions.

India has been operating sub 3 ton category French-origin legacy helicopters, Chetak and Cheetah, made in India by the HAL. These single engine machines were, primarily, utility helicopters. Indian forces also operate the Lancer, an armed version of Cheetah. In addition, the Indian Air Force currently operates the Russian origin Mi-17 and its variants Mi-17 IV and Mi-17 V5, with maximum take off weight of 13 tonnes, which are to be phased out starting 2028.

But the requirement was for a more agile, multi-role dedicated attack helicopter. After the initial deliberations, the government sanctioned the LCH project in October 2006, and HAL was tasked to develop it. The HAL’s Rotary Wing Research and Development Centre, which had already worked on the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruva and its weaponised version ALH Rudra, embarked upon the project.

Development of Light Combat Helicopter

The LCH has been designed as a twin-engine, dedicated combat helicopter of 5.8-ton class, thus categorised as light. It features a narrow fuselage and tandem — one behind the other — configuration for pilot and co-pilot. The copilot is also the Weapon Systems Operator (WSO). While LCH inherits many features of the ALH, it mainly differs in tandem cockpit configuration, making it sleeker. It also has many more state-of-art systems that make it a dedicated attack helicopter.

In the LCH’s journey towards clearance and induction by the IAF and the Army, extensive flight testing has been carried out on four prototypes, also known as Technology Demonstrators (TDs).

The first Technology Demonstrator was completed in February 2010 and took its first flight on March 29 the same year. TD-2 prototype, completed around 2012, successfully passed the cold weather trials at high altitude. TD-3 and TD-4 prototypes, completed around 2014 and 2015, successfully tested other flight test requirements.

The flight testing was carried out at various altitudes, from sea level to the Siachen range, in extreme cold and hot weather conditions, and in desert regions. During these tests, integration of mission sensors such as electro-optical system, helmet-mounted display system, solid state data and video recorder, and weapon systems such as turret gun, rockets and air-to-air missile systems was carried out. Weapon firing trials were also completed. The four prototypes have together undergone over 2,000 flights with close to 1600 flight hours.

Initial operational clearance came in 2017 for the IAF variant and in 2019 for the Army variant. In August 2020, the MoD added LCH to the items under import embargo. In November 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi symbolically handed over the LCH to the Indian Air Force, paving the way for its final induction.

In March 2022, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved procurement of 15 LCH Limited Series Production (LSP) — 10 for IAF and five for Army — at the cost of Rs 3,887 crore along with infrastructure sanctions worth Rs 377 crore.

The 15 copters are the initial lot and the orders will go up once the systems are in place. It is estimated that the Army will go in for nearly 90 of them for its aviation arm to support ground operations, while the IAF will have a little less.

Indigenous Content

One consequence of the Russian war in Ukraine is that it has brought into sharper focus the extent of India’s dependency on Moscow for defence hardware, and the urgent need for indigenisation to the extent possible. The LCH is 45 per cent indigenous right now, but will become more Indian in the years to come.

In March, the Ministry of Defence identified 18 major platforms for “make in India” and the 2022-23 defence budget reflects this with an allocation of 25 per cent of the defence research and development for Indian industry-led efforts in this direction. HAL’s indigenous multi-role helicopter, being developed to take the place of Mi17s that have started to be phased out, is the next big challenge.

Will there be a demand for India-made defence helicopters? It is hard to say, but the logic of self-reliance in defence production demands international standards. The LCH is a great start.

The Road Ahead

Eventually, the Army is looking for another 95 LCH and the IAF another 65 of them. After receiving a contract for the LSP in March, some units have already been delivered and the rest are at various stages of acceptance. HAL has said that it has drawn a detailed masterplan for achieving the peak rate production capacity of 30 helicopters per year in order to produce the remaining 145 LCHs in eight years from the date of signing of Series Production order.

The Army Aviation has three Brigades at Leh, Missamari and Jodhpur, and operates around 145 indigenous Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH), 75 of which are the Rudra weaponised variants, and around 190 ageing Cheetah, Chetak and Cheetal helicopters. Another 25 ALH Mk-III are on order which will be inducted within two years. The Army will also start receiving the Apache attack helicopters in early 2024, six of which have been contracted under an estimated $800 million deal from the Boeing in February 2020. In addition, the Army is also pushing a case for 11 more Apaches for which negotiations are under way.

The focus is now on the development of medium-lift category Indian Multi Role Helicopter (IMRH), to replace the fleets of IAF’s workhorse Mi-17 and other helicopters which will start phasing out over the coming decade.

HAL has so far rolled out three indigenously designed and developed helicopters in the light category (below 10 ton) – the 5-ton class Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv, its weaponised version ALH Rudra, and the LCH. It has also developed a 3-ton class Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), primarily as a replacement for the French origin legacy helicopters Chetak and Cheetah. So the next logical step is a Made-in-India medium lift helicopter in the 13-ton category – the IMRH.

On April 2, speaking at a function to mark 60 years of service of Chetak helicopters, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasised the need to develop the IMRH which, he said, is a significant requirement for the armed forces and has a huge market potential.

He also pushed for fast-tracking the development of helicopter technology, saying this will not only be a key strategic asset in the defence sector, but will also make India a dominant force in the global helicopter market.

The Navy operates close to 60 helicopters like Kamov and Seaking and the newly inducted MH-60R in medium lift category. Its projected requirement over the next few years is close to 120. A large share of this requirement may be fulfilled by the IMRH.

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According to its makers, the LCH is the only attack helicopter in the world which can land and take off at an altitude of 5,000 meters with a considerable load of weapons and fuel, meeting the specific requirements laid out by the Indian Armed Forces.

Here is the story of its development by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), its unique features, its importance as a strategic asset and the road it faces ahead.

Genesis of the Light Combat Helicopter

It was during the 1999 Kargil war that the need was first felt for a homegrown lightweight assault helicopter that could hold precision strikes in all Indian battlefield scenarios. This meant a craft that could operate in very hot deserts and also in very cold high altitudes, in counter-insurgency scenarios to full-scale battle conditions.

India has been operating sub 3 ton category French-origin legacy helicopters, Chetak and Cheetah, made in India by the HAL. These single engine machines were, primarily, utility helicopters. Indian forces also operate the Lancer, an armed version of Cheetah. In addition, the Indian Air Force currently operates the Russian origin Mi-17 and its variants Mi-17 IV and Mi-17 V5, with maximum take off weight of 13 tonnes, which are to be phased out starting 2028.

But the requirement was for a more agile, multi-role dedicated attack helicopter. After the initial deliberations, the government sanctioned the LCH project in October 2006, and HAL was tasked to develop it. The HAL’s Rotary Wing Research and Development Centre, which had already worked on the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruva and its weaponised version ALH Rudra, embarked upon the project.

The development of Light Combat Helicopter

The LCH has been designed as a twin-engine, dedicated combat helicopter of 5.8-ton class, thus categorised as light. It features a narrow fuselage and tandem — one behind the other — configuration for pilot and co-pilot. The copilot is also the Weapon Systems Operator (WSO). While LCH inherits many features of the ALH, it mainly differs in tandem cockpit configuration, making it sleeker. It also has many more state-of-art systems that make it a dedicated attack helicopter.

In the LCH’s journey towards clearance and induction by the IAF and the Army, extensive flight testing has been carried out on four prototypes, also known as Technology Demonstrators (TDs).

The first Technology Demonstrator was completed in February 2010 and took its first flight on March 29 the same year. TD-2 prototype, completed around 2012, successfully passed the cold weather trials at high altitude. TD-3 and TD-4 prototypes, completed around 2014 and 2015, successfully tested other flight test requirements.

HAL officials said that the flight testing was carried out at various altitudes, from sea level to the Siachen range, in extreme cold and hot weather conditions, and in desert regions. During these tests, integration of mission sensors such as electro-optical system, helmet-mounted display system, solid state data and video recorder, and weapon systems such as turret gun, rockets and air-to-air missile systems was carried out. Weapon firing trials were also completed. The four prototypes have together undergone over 2,000 flights with close to 1600 flight hours.

Initial operational clearance came in 2017 for the IAF variant and in 2019 for the Army variant. In August 2020, the MoD added LCH to the items under import embargo. In November 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi symbolically handed over the LCH to the Indian Air Force, paving the way for its final induction.

In March this year, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved procurement of 15 LCH Limited Series Production (LSP) — 10 for IAF and five for Army — at the cost of Rs 3,887 crore along with infrastructure sanctions worth Rs 377 crore.

Features, significance of the Light Combat Helicopter

LCH has the maximum take-off weight of 5.8 tonnes, maximum speed of 268 kilometers per hour, range of 550 kilometers, endurance of over three hours and service ceiling — the maximum density altitude to which it can fly — of 6.5 kilometres.

The helicopter uses radar-absorbing material to lower radar signature and has a significantly crash-proof structure and landing gear. A pressurised cabin offers protection from nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) contingencies.

The helicopter is equipped with a countermeasure dispensing system that protects it from enemy radars or infrared seekers of the enemy missiles. As far as weapons systems are concerned, a 20 mm turret gun, 70 mm rockets and air-to-air missile systems are onboard.

LCH is powered by two French-origin Shakti engines manufactured by the HAL.

With these features, the LCH has the capabilities of combat roles such as destruction of enemy air defence, counter insurgency warfare, combat search and rescue, anti-tank, and counter surface force operations.

The road ahead

According to HAL there is a projected requirement of 160 LCHs — 65 for IAF and 95 for Indian Army. After receiving a contract for the LSP in March, some units have already been delivered and the rest are at various stages of acceptance. HAL has said that it has drawn a detailed masterplan for achieving the peak rate production capacity of 30 helicopters per year in order to produce the remaining 145 LCHs in eight years from the date of signing of Series Production order.

For export, the HAL has already obtained a no objection certificate from the Ministry of Defence for countries like Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Angola, Egypt, Indonesia, Ecuador and Nigeria, sources have said.

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The Mistral has a maximum intercept range of 6.5 kilometers and can be used to take out hostile Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and helicopters.

The Mistral has two launchers each carrying two missiles and it is already integrated into India’s Rudra helicopter and Light Combat Helicopter.

Under the licensing agreement MBDA will transfer the equipment and knowledge to Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for establishing the facility that will start operation in the current fiscal year.

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Majority of the fleet of the 186 Chetak and over 200 of Cheetah lie in the vintage category, serving for over 40 years now. And they will continue to fly for the next few decades more as the forces are still ordering, given the lack of options.

Chetak lacks modern helicopter features like moving map display, ground proximity warning system, and weather radar, besides an auto-pilot system.

During the past 10 years, around 15 Chetak and Cheetah helicopters have crashed, killing several pilots even as it remains as the workhorse of the armed forces — flying over the sea or Siachen Glacier. In 2022 alone, at least five Army pilots have lost their lives in air crashes.

HAL Light Utility Helicopter

In November 2021, the defence ministry approved the procurement of 12 Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) from HAL. These helicopters will eventually replace the nearly 400 Chetak and Cheetah in use. These 12 new choppers will come under a limited series production configuration even as India’s overall demand for LUHs, meant for transportation of men and supplies to high-altitude areas besides evacuation and reconnaissance, is estimated to be over 400. This means that it will be years before the entire fleet of Chetak and Cheetah are replaced.

Of the nearly 400 helicopters that the armed forces require, only half of them were to be supplied by HAL and the rest were to come through a joint venture with Russia under the Make in India route — for Kamov 226T. But the government-to-government deal in 2015 hangs in balance over indigenous content and cost.

The Navy was keen to replace them and the process was initiated under the strategic partnership model, only to be delayed by HAL’s attempt to enter the race.

Light Combat Helicopter

The cabinet committee on security, on 30 March 2022, cleared the purchase of 15 light combat helicopters (LCH) for the Indian air force (IAF) and the army from HAL at a cost of Rs 3,887 crore.

The approval for the 15 limited series production (LSP) helicopters came along with infrastructure sanctions worth Rs 377 crore.

LCH has indigenous content of 45% by value, which will progressively increase to more than 55% for the series production version.

HAL expects follow-up orders as the IAF and army have a combined projected requirement of 160 LCHs, officials familiar with the matter said. Of the initial 15 LSP helicopters approved for purchase, 10 are for the IAF and five for the army.

LCH figures on the government’s negative import list that seeks to ban the import of different types of weapons, systems and ammunition over the next five years to boost self-reliance in defence.

LCH is specifically designed for operating in mountainous and high-altitude areas. Its capability to deliver armament at altitudes in excess of 15,000 feet makes it unique in the world.

LCH can perform a raft of missions such as destruction of enemy air defences, targeting slow moving aircraft and remotely piloted aircraft, destroying high-altitude bunkers, carrying out counter-insurgency operations in jungle and urban environments aside from providing support to ground forces, the ministry said, adding that it would be a potent platform for the two services.

Order for More Combat Helicopters

Impressed with the performance of the armed version of the ALH, the IAF plans to buy more such copters for high-altitude operations in the Himalayas and the desert sector on the western front.

The copter, which is called the ALH Mark-IV version and is known by its military name ‘Rudra’, was used in Eastern Ladakh during the stand-off with China. The IAF has one squadron of 14 to 16 copters and is looking to get at least three more squadrons. The Army also operates the ‘Rudra’.

HAL LCH is a dedicated attack helicopter while Rudra is a Weapon Systems Integrated Variant or an armed variant of ALH Dhruv, more suited for armed scouting roles in a secured environment while LCH is more suited for high-risk operations in hostile airspace which includes close-air support missions, high-altitude warfare and anti-armor missions.

Role and Features

The LCH has the maximum possible commonality with ALH. The attack helicopter has a pilot and co-pilot sitting in tandem position (one behind the other). The helicopter has several stealth features and has armour protection, night attack capability and crash worthy landing gear to give it better survivability.

It is powered by two Shakti engines and has a maximum take off weight of 5,800 kg. With a maximum speed of 268 km per hour it has a range of 550 km and an operational ceiling of 6.5 kms. Armed with air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, LCH also has a 20 mm gun and 70 mm rockets. With a full glass cockpit, the LCH has an Electronic Warfare suite and helmet mounted display for the flying crew.

The LCH is well suited for anti-tank role wherein it can fly low and fast to attack enemy armour columns and destroy them. As per HAL, it is also suitable for scout role wherein it can fly ahead of advancing columns of the Army and detect enemy presence. It is also suitable for air defence roles and destruction of enemy air defence assets. It can also be used in urban warfare missions and combat search and rescue operations.

Genesis and Development

The genesis of the LCH lies in the Kargil conflict of 1999 when the absence of an attack helicopter which could operate in ultra-high altitude areas was felt acutely by the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF). The intruding Pakistan Army troops had occupied various heights on the Indian side of the Line of Control but the existing Russian-made attack helicopters in the inventory of the Indian military did not have the operational ceiling which permitted their deployment at those heights. The IAF was forced to use the MI-17 helicopters in a modified role against those heights and suffered the loss of a helicopter when it was fired upon by the enemy.

The first ground run of the first prototype of the LCH took place in February 2010 and a month later the first flight test of the helicopter also took place. A third prototype was further tested in November 2014 with integrated weapon platforms and sensors. This version was a considerably improved one with lighter weight and advanced configurations. In the coming year further hot weather and cold weather tests were done on the helicopter in Rajasthan and Ladakh and a fourth prototype was tested in November 2015.

It was in January 2019 that HAL gave the go ahead for the operational deployment of the helicopter after all systems had been fully integrated and checked for performance. The defence minister inaugurated the LCH production hangar at HAL Bengaluru in February 2020. The production line is reportedly geared up to deliver up to 30 helicopters a year.

Overhaul of Mi-17 Helicopters to be Outsourced

The IAF is outsourcing the repair and overhaul of its Russian-origin Mi-17V5 helicopters, which form the backbone of its medium-lift rotary component, to the private industry to overcome the shortfall in the IAF’s existing in-house capacity. The entire overhaul process as mandated, after receiving the helicopter from the IAF to post-overhaul flight test till final acceptance by the IAF, will be the responsibility of the private firm.

At present, the Mi-17 helicopters are overhauled at No.3 Base Repair Deport (BRD) in Chandigarh, which is the largest helicopter maintenance establishment for Soviet or Russian origin helicopters, including the older variants of the Mi-17 and the Mi-25/35 gunships.

The IAF has a large fleet of Mi-17 helicopters comprising three variants, but the existing capacity of 3 BRD is limited and a significant number of the latest variant, the V5, have to be sent overseas for major overhaul.

Established in 1962, 3 BRD has been repairing, overhauling, modifying and retrofitting the Mi-17 series, their engines and aggregates since 1991. The Depot also assembled and flight tested the V5 version after they were inducted in 2012. In 2019, a new assembly line became operational at the depot for overhauling the Mi-17V5.

In addition to the indigenization of various types of aero-spares to cut dependence on imports, the depot has also upgraded and modified helicopters to enhance their capability for meeting various operational requirements.  Several such projects have been executed by the depot over the past years, including modifying five M-17V5s for VVIP transport to ferry the president, vive-president and the prime minister.

The IAF operates about 150 of the latest V5 variant that are among the most advanced helicopters in the world, incorporating a complex navigation and electronic warfare suite. Like the earlier variants, they can also be armed with external rocket pods, missiles and machine guns.

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LCH LSP is an indigenously designed, developed and manufactured state of the art modern combat helicopter containing approx. 45% indigenous content by value which will progressively increase to more than 55% for SP Version.

This helicopter is equipped with requisite agility, maneuverability, extended range, high altitude performance and around-the-clock, all-weather combat capability to perform roles of Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR), Destruction of Enemy Air Defence (DEAD), Counter Insurgency (CI) operations, against slow moving aircraft and Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs), high altitude bunker busting operations, Counter Insurgency operations in jungle and urban environments and support to ground forces and would be a potent platform to meet the operational requirements of Indian Air Force & Indian Army.

State of the art technologies and systems compatible with stealth features such as reduced Visual, Aural, Radar and IR signatures and crashworthiness features for better survivability have been integrated in LCH for deployment in combat roles catering to emerging needs for next 3 to 4 decades. Several key aviation technologies like Glass Cockpit and composite airframe structure have been indigenised. The future Series Production version will consist of further modern & indigenous systems.

Light Combat Helicopters are already in the import embargo list. With its versatile features built in for combat missions, LCH has export capability.

The post Procurement of 15 Light Combat Helicopters from HAL Approved appeared first on IMR.

The approval for the 15 limited series production (LSP) helicopters comes along with infrastructure sanctions worth ?377 crore. While the defence ministry is now set to award the contract to HAL, the state-run plane maker has already delivered some helicopters to the two services in anticipation of the order.

LCH has indigenous content of 45% by value, which will progressively increase to more than 55% for the series production version, the ministry said.

HAL expects follow-up orders as the IAF and army have a combined projected requirement of 160 LCHs, officials familiar with the matter said. Of the initial 15 LSP helicopters approved for purchase, 10 are for the IAF and five for the army.

LCH figures on the government’s negative import list that seeks to ban the import of different types of weapons, systems and ammunition over the next five years to boost self-reliance in defence. In the last two years, the government has imposed a ban on the import of 209 defence items.

“LCH is specifically designed for operating in mountainous and high-altitude areas. Its capability to deliver armament at altitudes in excess of 15,000 feet makes it unique in the world. HAL should prioritise production to meet the demands of the services,” said air vice marshal Manmohan Bahadur (retd), former additional director general, Centre for Air Power Studies.

Production of LCH will reduce India’s dependence on imported combat helicopters, the ministry said in a statement. With its versatile features, the helicopter has export potential, the ministry said.

LCH can perform a raft of missions such as destruction of enemy air defences, targeting slow moving aircraft and remotely piloted aircraft, destroying high-altitude bunkers, carrying out counter-insurgency operations in jungle and urban environments aside from providing support to ground forces, the ministry said, adding that it would be a potent platform for the two services.

“State-of-the-art technologies and systems compatible with stealth features…and crashworthiness features for better survivability have been integrated in LCH catering to emerging needs for the next three to four decades,” the ministry said.

The government has taken several steps in recent years to boost self-reliance including raising foreign direct investment (FDI) in defence manufacturing, creating a separate budget for buying locally-made military hardware and notifying two lists of weapons and equipment that cannot be imported.

These lists include artillery guns, missile destroyers, ship-borne cruise missiles, light combat aircraft, light transport aircraft, long-range land-attack cruise missiles, basic trainer aircraft, multi-barrel rocket launchers, assault rifles, sniper rifles, mini-UAVs, specified types of helicopters, next-generation corvettes, airborne early warning and Control (AEW&C) systems, and medium-range surface to air missile systems.

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IMR. In view of the existential Chinese threat how do you intend to make up deficiencies in aircraft, armament and essential resources in the short and long term?

CAS. The Chinese threat is not existential. While we continue to evaluate our current and future threat scenario as part of our planning process, we are taking suitable measures in terms of threat perceptions with respect to China for acquisition of platforms, weapons and capabilities in order to meet our capability requirement.  We have planned for induction of indigenous fighters such as the remaining LCA (Light Combat Aircraft) Mk1 and the LCA Mk1A.  Further, we fully support the LCA Mk2 and AMCA (Advanced Multi-role Combat Aircraft) programmes. The remaining Rafales will also join the IAF by 2022.  Additional Su-30 and MiG-29 fighters are also in the pipeline.  Additional force multipliers such as AEW (Airborne Early Warning) Systems and FRA (Flight Refuelling Aircraft) aircraft are also under consideration.

Aerospace Commission

IMR. What is happening about setting up an aerospace commission, which was recommended years ago. Is it not doable? Does the IAF support the concept to bring in synergy in use of all aerospace resources like ISRO in the case of space.

CAS. Outer space has been recognized as a strategic domain with likelihood of future battles being fought in an integrated manner with increased utilization of space assets. To this end, the Defence Space Agency (DSA) has been formed to bring about the required synergy for operational control of all space resources in achieving our national military objectives. We fully support this concept. The DSA itself is an interim arrangement and we shall see its evolution to an Aerospace Command in times to come. As regards an Aerospace Commission, we have given our recommendations in the matter and support this evolution.

Light Combat Helicopter

IMR. The Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) remains under development. When can we expect the IAF to be equipped with it? What is causing delays?

CAS. The RFP (Request for Proposals) for the helicopter for both IAF and IA (Indian Army) was issued in December 2017. The IOC (Initial Operational Clearance) for the LCH LSP (Limited Series Production) has been accorded and the cost has already been finalised by the cost committee. The contract is likely to be signed in this calendar year and we expect the induction to commence a year or so thereafter.

IMR. Would the IAF not like to be involved in the development of the LCA Mk 2 like the India Navy gets involved in its projects through design bureaus and leading the manufacturing effort. Can we improve HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd) performance in the regards with more involvement of private companies or a consortium.

Design & Development

CAS. The IAF has been fully involved in the development of LCA through our team in flight test centre and project management at ADA (Aeronautical Development Agency). The Tejas variants and AMCA are indigenous fighters, which will form the core of our fighter fleet in the decades ahead. We are also deeply committed to the HTT-40 and the LCH programmes. The IAF is heavily invested in these projects. We have teams of test pilots, flight test engineers, programme managers and logisticians deeply embedded at all levels in the design and manufacturing complexes at DRDO (Defence Research & Development Organisation), HAL, ADA and other stakeholders.

In keeping with the requirements of an Atmanirbhar Bharat in the defence sector, we see a major opportunity for the private sector. We feel our requirements could be met faster and more efficiently with a mix of public and private sector partnership, both in design and development and manufacturing.

Aeroengines

IMR. We made a fatal mistake when we declined an offer by Rolls Royce for the co-development of an aeroengine for HF-24. We repeated the same when Safran offered co-development of Kaveri engine as part of offsets of Rafale project. How do we move forward to get aeroengines technology?

CAS. For the AMCA programme to succeed, the design and development of an indigenous aero engine is a pre-requisite. The technology is niche and the process complex and expensive. This can happen with experience gained from the Kaveri programme and a collaboration of aero engine houses, academia, industry and defence PSUs. DRDO is considering various options with international design houses including Safran for co-development of an engine for AMCA and beyond.

Training

IMR. NDA cadets have moved from gliders to microlight. Systems are getting more complex but more automation, AI, robotics and simulators, can compress time frame of training and improve degree of difficulty for better proficiency. What changes have taken place in training philosophy of the IAF?

CAS. The training philosophy of the IAF has been adapted to keep pace with developments in the strategic space of operations. We have modified our basic training stage, which will see pilot trainees graduating with a B.Tech degree.
To promote jointness in operations, ground duty and technical branch officers will also now be inducted through NDA (National Defence Academy), expanding the inter-Services interaction across branches. Use of simulators for ground training such as for mechanical transport operators, e-training format for air warriors and more officers being sent for post-graduate courses to remain abreast of technological developments are some of the steps taken in this direction. Simulators have also become an integral part of our flying training right from the basic stage in the Pilatus PC-7 to frontline fighters such as the Su-30 MKI and the Rafale.

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