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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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According to South Block officials, this collaboration will be tested in the development and manufacture of Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH), which will ultimately replace all Russian built Mi-17 and Mi-8 helicopters in the Indian military’s present inventory. The IMRH will have a 13 tons take-off weight and will perform with the Indian armed forces in air assault, air attack, anti-submarine, anti-ship, military transport and VVIP roles.

It is understood that Indian private sector companies have already shown their eagerness to participate in the project with the Defence Ministry telling them to start manufacturing in the next seven years. The French Safran has already signed an MoU with Indian HAL on July 8, 2022, to form a new joint venture company to develop, produce and support the IMRH engine including the naval variant.

According to officials, the private sector companies will also be allowed to export 25 per cent of their production to third countries and generate foreign exchange for the country. The Indian Armed Forces has been told to purchase the developed IMRH which is stipulated to roll out in next seven years. The private sector companies have also sought an assurance from the Defence Ministry that the Indian armed forces should purchase the helicopter if the product is manufactured in the next five years by advancing timelines and saving money and man-hours.

The decision to allow the private sector to acquire 51 per cent stake and form a joint venture with Indian PSUs was taken as the latter were not being able to deliver in required time leading to cost overruns. This delay was leaving the Modi government with no options but to purchase the much-required machines via the tender or government-to-government route from other countries.

While the IMRH is expected to roll out in the coming five to seven years, the Indian Navy is expected to get its first anti-submarine warfare Sirkorsky MH 60R Seahawk helicopters delivered in India by the end of this year. Although the first two to three helicopters have already been handed over to the Indian Navy for training purposes by San Diego Naval Station in the US, the remaining deliveries of 21 helicopters will begin soon as per the USD 2.3 billion February 2020 deal signed by both the governments.

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According to South Block officials, this collaboration will be tested in the development and manufacture of Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH), which will ultimately replace all Russian built Mi-17 and Mi-8 helicopters in the Indian military’s present inventory. The IMRH will have a 13 tons take-off weight and will perform with the Indian armed forces in air assault, air attack, anti-submarine, anti-ship, military transport and VVIP roles.

It is understood that Indian private sector companies have already shown their eagerness to participate in the project with the Defence Ministry telling them to start manufacturing in the next seven years. The French Safran has already signed an MoU with Indian HAL on July 8, 2022, to form a new joint venture company to develop, produce and support the IMRH engine including the naval variant.

According to officials, the private sector companies will also be allowed to export 25 per cent of their production to third countries and generate foreign exchange for the country. The Indian Armed Forces has been told to purchase the developed IMRH which is stipulated to roll out in next seven years. The private sector companies have also sought an assurance from the Defence Ministry that the Indian armed forces should purchase the helicopter if the product is manufactured in the next five years by advancing timelines and saving money and man-hours.

The decision to allow the private sector to acquire 51 per cent stake and form a joint venture with Indian PSUs was taken as the latter were not being able to deliver in required time leading to cost overruns. This delay was leaving the Modi government with no options but to purchase the much-required machines via the tender or government-to-government route from other countries.

While the IMRH is expected to roll out in the coming five to seven years, the Indian Navy is expected to get its first anti-submarine warfare Sirkorsky MH 60R Seahawk helicopters delivered in India by the end of this year. Although the first two to three helicopters have already been handed over to the Indian Navy for training purposes by San Diego Naval Station in the US, the remaining deliveries of 21 helicopters will begin soon as per the USD 2.3 billion February 2020 deal signed by both the governments.

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In March, the IAF had invited the industry to participate in the Mi-17 overhaul programme to overcome the shortfall in the IAF’s existing in-house capacity, speed up the overhaul process and boost the country’s aviation capability.

The industry will now be associated with the overhaul process under the ‘plant-in-plant’ concept where six newly defined tasks will be executed by the successful bidder at the IAF’s No.3 Base Repair Depot under supervision of the depot’s staff. Provision of manpower, tools and specified spares will be the responsibility of the industry while initial technical training to the private crew on the Mi-17 will be provided by the IAF.

The IAF envisions 15 helicopters to be overhauled under this arrangement during 2022-23 and this arrangement will be in place for at least two years. It takes about three months to overhaul one helicopter.

Earlier, the entire overhaul process, right from accepting the helicopter to post-overhaul ground and flight tests, including overhaul of aero-engines, replacement of all spares, hoses, seals and consumables, as well as certification, was to be undertaken by the industry before handing the aircraft back to the IAF. It was to be undertaken over 10 years with the possibility of further extension.

In a fresh expression of interest issued this week, the IAF has listed out six processes that can be taken up by the private industry. These include dismantling of the helicopter and its aggregates, paint removal and cleaning of complete helicopter and its parts, defect analysis of the structure, including visual checks, non-destructive test for cracks, dents, loose or missing rivets, corrosion and carrying out necessary repairs, removal of the electrical loom and its refurbishment followed by testing and relaying, cockpit and cargo compartment ceiling, side and floor panel repairs and refurbishment, and finally re-painting and marking of the helicopter.

The IAF operates three variants of the Mi-17 class, including the latest Mi-17 V5, Mi-17 1V and older versions, which form the backbone of its medium-lift rotary component. These are overhauled at No.3 Base Repair Deport in Chandigarh, which is the largest helicopter maintenance establishment for Soviet or Russian origin helicopters.

The IAF reportedly operates over 220 Mi-17 helicopters that began entering service in 1991. These gradually replaced the earlier Mi-8 and are extensively used for tactical missions such as troops transport, assault, ferrying and air dropping supplies in remote areas, special operations, search and rescue and disaster management.

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The HAL project will substitute imports of more than Rs 4 lakh crore worth of military helicopters for the three services in the coming years. With a huge potential for export, the HAL intends to target the global helicopter market as well.

Replacement Plans

The IMRH is being developed as an indigenous replacement for existing helicopters such as the Mil Mi-17 in the air force, which were imported from Russia and the Kamov and Seaking helicopters in the navy, which were imported from Russia and the UK, respectively. Depending on its configuration, the IMRH can carry either 24 or 36 troops. The air force’s Mi-17 helicopters are slated for replacement starting from 2028 as per current plans. HAL is benchmarking the proposed IMRH against its contemporary helicopters, viz. Mi-17, S-92, AW-101, NH-90 & EC-725.

The Mi-17 helicopters are planned to be phased out by 2032. HAL is aiming to produce at least 500 helicopters of this type, but with more endurance than Mi-17s. An assured demand of at least 400 helicopters is offered by the HAL to selected partners.

There were as of 2021 around 240 Mi-17 helicopters of three variants operating in the inventory of the Indian Air Force, helicopters which, starting from 2028, will be progressively phased out. The Air Force has indicated a replacement requirement of 250 helicopters in the medium-lift category. The Army, which at present does not have any medium-lift helicopters in its inventory, has also indicated a demand of around 170 medium-lift helicopters, calling them Tactical Battlefield Support helicopters. The Navy, which operates 63 medium helicopters, has indicated a demand of 123 such helicopters. HAL projected a total requirement of 314 helicopters for the armed forces — 200 for the Air Force, 100 for the Army and 14 for the Navy — totalling an expenditure of around Rs.78,500 crore, with a further Rs.62,800 crore accruing by way of spares support over the life of these helicopters.

Design & Development

The preliminary design of the helicopter is complete. The first prototype set is expected to be ready by next year.

The IMRH is being developed at HAL’s Rotary Wing R&D Centre (RWRDC) in Bengaluru, one of the oldest helicopter design and production agencies in Asia (if not the oldest). It was established in 1970 as Helicopter Design Bureau and later renamed RWR&DC in 1998. The IMRH was originally conceived as a 10-tonne class helicopter to meet the Indian army, air force and navy requirements. It has now grown into a 13-tonne class helicopter that will be able to undertake various roles for the armed forces such as support air assault, air transport, VIP transport, combat logistics viz. troop transport, combat search & rescue and casualty evacuation operations, etc.

Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), a premium laboratory of DRDO, has taken up a program to develop five sets (300 in number) of single crystal high pressure turbine (HPT) blades using a nickel-based super-alloy. Very few countries such as the USA, UK, France and Russia have the capability to design and manufacture such state-of-the-art Single Crystal (SX) components, which have a complex shape and geometry, manufactured out of Nickel based super-alloys, and are capable of withstanding high temperatures of operation.

DRDO has developed single crystal blades technology and supplied 60 of these blades to HAL as part of their indigenous helicopter development program for helicopter engine application.

Features

In 2021, details on progress were unveiled in Aero India. The helicopter is expected to have a maximum take off weight of 13 tonnes and will have 24 to 36 crews onboard in various configurations. The helicopter will have a five bladed main rotor with a diameter of 21.2 meters and a four-blade tail rotor. MRH will have 75% domestic content but will use an imported 2000kW turboshaft engine. Payload capacity at sea level will be 4 tonnes and 1.5 tonne at a height of 13,000 ft (4,000 m). Aircraft will have pair of weapons wings which will provide four hardpoints for up to 1,600 kilograms of armaments. First flight is expected four years after development project began while the introduction is scheduled for 2028.

The IMRH will have a service ceiling of 6.5 km, which is unlikely to be matched by any other helicopter in the 13-tonne weight class in the world. HAL quotes a flight endurance of three hours and a maximum cruise speed of 260 kmph. The new helicopter will have a payload of four tonne and crash-worthy tricycle landing gear. The IMRH will be equipped with an indigenously designed smart cockpit, state-of-the-art mission systems, advanced avionic systems and a 4-axis automatic flight control system. HAL RWRDC has now gained extensive experience using composites on the Dhruv, LCH and LUH helicopters, and as a result, the IMRH will feature a composite and modular airframe. The modular airframe will allow HAL to outsource production-related activities for the IMRH.

Private Sector Participation

HAL has begun the formal process for the selection of partners for design, development, and manufacturing of IMRH. This involves Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model via special purpose vehicle (SPV) model.

HAL is setting up a new Helicopter Factory at Tumkur that will produce helicopters of 3 ton to 12 ton category.HAL is also discussing with Safran Helicopter Engines for joint development and manufacturing of IMRH engine under strategic partnership model.

The Defence Ministry has decided to amend the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) manual to allow private sector to collaborate with an Indian Defence PSUs with a majority stake and manufacture weapon systems. This collaboration will be tested in the development and manufacture of IMRH.

The private sector companies will also be allowed to export 25 per cent of their production to third countries and generate foreign exchange for the country. They have also sought an assurance from the Defence Ministry that the Indian armed forces should purchase the helicopter if the product is manufactured in the next five years by advancing timelines and saving money and man-hours.

The decision to allow the private sector to acquire 51 per cent stake and form a joint venture with Indian PSUs was taken as the latter were not being able to deliver in required time leading to cost overruns.

Development Costs

An estimated ₹11,000 crore will be required as development cost with six prototypes for seven years and another ₹12,000 crore for setting up production facilities.

HAL-Safran Joint Venture

The IMRH programme received a boost, with the HAL and Safran Helicopter Engines announcing an agreement, on 8 July, to create a joint venture dedicated to helicopter engine development, production, sales and support. The JV will look to develop an engine for the IMRH, continuing Safran’s success in powering indigenous Indian helicopters in the ALH, LCH and LUH.

The company will also meet the requirement of future helicopter projects of HAL and Ministry of Defence. HAL will hold the type certificate for the engine after completion of the developmental project. The engine development will take three years to complete.

Deck-based Naval Multi-role Helicopter

In July 2021, the Indian Navy formally involved itself in the project, envisaging a customized naval multi-mission capability helicopter for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) / Anti-Surface (ASuW) Special Operations / Search & Rescue (SAR) Utility / Vertical Replenishment (VERTREP), Command and Control (C2) called the Deck-based Naval Multi-role Helicopters (DBMRH). As the naval variant will not perform high-altitude operations, unlike Indian Army and Indian Air Force operations, it will have higher payload capacity and longer range with a more powerful engine.

HAL plans to build three IMRH and three DBMRH in the next few years that will be used for developmental and flight trials. As of now, the Sea King Mk.42B, which the HAL seeks to replace, is fulfilling the ASW requirements of the Navy. The DBMRH will also supplement the recently inducted Lockheed Martin MH-60R Multi Role Helicopters (MRH) fleet.

Comments

The development of the IMRH and the DBMRH will be a shot in the arm for HAL. The indigenous HAL Rudra Combat Utility helicopter, the weaponized version of the Advanced Light Helicopter (Dhruv) is already serving the Indian Army and Indian Air Force. This multi-role helicopter of 5.8 ton class is powered by two Shakti engines and can perform anti-tank warfare and can provide close air support for ground troops, besides the scout, fire support, armed reconnaissance and surveillance, escort and EW platform roles. These helicopters have proven their prowess in high-altitude operations in the Himalayas, where helipads are at an altitude of more than 15,000 ft, and in the desert sector on the western front.

The 13-tonne IMRH will be the largest helicopter designed and developed in India and is more than twice the weight of the 5.5-tonne indigenously developed Dhruv ALH. HAL anticipates the business volume related to IMRH production and Maintenance Repair & Overhaul (MRO) phases to be to the tune of over INR 160,000 crore.

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Top government sources said that the decision to withdraw the tender for the 48 helicopters that was taken much before the conflict between Russia and Ukraine broke out and has nothing to do with the global scenario.

“The tender for 48 Mi-17V5 helicopters has been withdrawn in view of the push for indigenisation. The IAF would now be supporting an indigenous programme for helicopters,” the sources said.

India has been strongly working towards indigenisation in the defence sector and has put on hold or cancelled a large number of contracts for imports in the recent past, the sources said. The Mi-17V5 is produced and manufactured in Kazan, a city in southwest Russia. It is a modern military transport helicopter used by the Indian Air Force.

These helicopters are part of a larger family of high-performance and multipurpose Mi-17s that can fly at high altitudes in complex weather conditions, be it in tropical and maritime climates or even in desert conditions.

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