HAL Prachand - Light Combat Helicopter (LCH)

[kstriya]

Did you missed it out?

View attachment 15724

@Chinmoy I am sure the Indian navy missed it, or else we would few ALH ASW in IN till now... :biggrin2:

 

[Chinmoy]

@Chinmoy I am sure the Indian navy missed it, or else we would few ALH ASW in IN till now... :biggrin2:

NO... This is a recent development. You could see a lot more of this in coming years.

 

[Chinmoy]

This seems more aerodynamic than this.

Its not about aerodynamicity. Its about tracking the threat underwater.

 

[Chinmoy]

I don't think so there is any ALH in ASW role in the Indian navy now, I hope we have one soon as we have a major shortage of ASW helos and a indigenous one with LWT will be a good addition. Jai Hind!

HAL had approached and provided ALH in ASW role as early as 2008-9. But IN rejected it for dedicated choppers. But it seems that in recent years with its advancement in underwater tracking and detection, DRDO and HAL had given facelift to ALH in ASW role. As of now tests are underway to check its lethality and effectiveness.

 

[Chinmoy]

So we only ever going to have 144 LCH in the Army. This means that I was celebrating for nothing.

144 is not a bad number. You are not going to make a regiment of LCH .

 

[Kunal Biswas]

#Super_Vision_2000 an airborne 3D naval surveillance radar, meant for helicopters and light transport aircraft. The SV-2000 is a lightweight, yet high performance, slotted array radar operating in the X Band. It can detect sea-surface targets such as a periscope or a vessel, against heavy clutter, and can also be used for navigation, weather mapping and beacon detection. The radar can detect a large vessel at over 100 nautical miles (370 km). It is currently under modification to be fitted to the Advanced Light Helicopter, and the Navy's Do-228's. Variants can be fitted to the Navy's Ka-25's as well. The radar has been inducted by the Indian Navy and a more advanced variant of the Super Vision, known as the XV-2004 is now in production. The XV-2004 is also operational, and features an ISAR, SAR Capability.

NO... This is a recent development. You could see a lot more of this in coming years.View attachment 15782

View attachment 15783

 

[kstriya]

HAL had approached and provided ALH in ASW role as early as 2008-9. But IN rejected it for dedicated choppers. But it seems that in recent years with its advancement in underwater tracking and detection, DRDO and HAL had given facelift to ALH in ASW role. As of now tests are underway to check its lethality and effectiveness.

Any article you can please share on this topic?

 

[Chinmoy]

Any article you can please share on this topic?

First one of rejection..

http://jerryjo94.blogspot.in/2011/05/hal-dhruv.html

In October 2008, the defence minister stated in the parliament that the Indian Navy will deploy the Dhruv in a Utility role. However, the anti-submarine version will not be pursued since it did not suit the Navy's requirements for the ASW role.

As of recent development, @Kunal Biswas just mentioned in the last post.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Light combat Helicopter TD-4 ..

 

[Adioz]

144 is not a bad number. You are not going to make a regiment of LCH .

The only way I will feel good about Indian Army buying just 114 LCH is if the DRDO builds a MCH which is inducted in great numbers (for the plains and desert strike corps and the amphibious brigade). Maybe that is what they actually plan on doing. So that would mean that these 6 squadrons of LCH are meant for the mountain strike corps only.

 

[Chinmoy]

The only way I will feel good about Indian Army buying just 114 LCH is if the DRDO builds a MCH which is inducted in great numbers (for the plains and desert strike corps and the amphibious brigade). Maybe that is what they actually plan on doing. So that would mean that these 6 squadrons of LCH are meant for the mountain strike corps only.

LCH in current form is tailor made for Mountain strike purpose only. It is for CAS to mountain strike corp and may be in limited number for desert strike in anti tank role. But we would not be seeing it in this form much. Maybe we could see it in CI role pretty soon. Who knows?

 

[kstriya]

First one of rejection..

http://jerryjo94.blogspot.in/2011/05/hal-dhruv.html



As of recent development, @Kunal Biswas just mentioned in the last post.

I read the article but it does not tell about the short falls in the ALH ASW variant then, or any reasons explicitly for its rejection.

 

[abingdonboy]

411 LCH? Did the Army increase its requirements from the original 114 or are those meant for export? Do we even have any firm orders for export of LCH? And looking at that pace, it does not seem like the production of LCH is going to stop even after 2025. If all these are for the Indian Army, then I am on cloud 9 right now.

Around 2.5 are ordered (to take care of spares also) so this 411 order will service 164 LCH- around what the IA and IAF have commited to so far. But someone reliable has told me the IA alone wants 260 LCH by 2030 so the numbers are going to rise.

Also, how many Dhruv do we have deployed in our Armed Forces? They already have produced 231 as of February this year. SO the total number of Dhruvs produced will be 450-ish? So our Armed Forces plan to have ~430 Dhruvs in service? I expected the number to be more.

Around 240-250 ALH have been delivered so far, final numbers will be 450-550 which is quite vast.

Naval LCH is already there for surface marine combat and coast guard

Naval LCH is useless until India has a dedicated marine infantry force- this ins't even proposed.

 

[abingdonboy]

LCH in current form is tailor made for Mountain strike purpose only. It is for CAS to mountain strike corp and may be in limited number for desert strike in anti tank role. But we would not be seeing it in this form much. Maybe we could see it in CI role pretty soon. Who knows?

Don't forget the IA is also interested in the Apache for the Western sector/plains.

 

[abingdonboy]

I read the article but it does not tell about the short falls in the ALH ASW variant then, or any reasons explicitly for its rejection.

ALH is only 5.5 tons and thus its payload, sensor and range/endurance will be highly limited , most modern ASW helos are in the 10-12 ton range. The ALH was never going to be an adequate platform for the IN's frontline ASW role.

I wish people would stop dragging this up, it's trying to fit a square peg into a round hole- it is not a failure on the ALH's part, just an inherent incompatability.

 

[HariPrasad-1]

Its not about aerodynamicity. Its about tracking the threat underwater.

It may be about anything but shape seems more aerodynamic.

 

[kstriya]

#Super_Vision_2000 an airborne 3D naval surveillance radar, meant for helicopters and light transport aircraft. The SV-2000 is a lightweight, yet high performance, slotted array radar operating in the X Band. It can detect sea-surface targets such as a periscope or a vessel, against heavy clutter, and can also be used for navigation, weather mapping and beacon detection. The radar can detect a large vessel at over 100 nautical miles (370 km). It is currently under modification to be fitted to the Advanced Light Helicopter, and the Navy's Do-228's. Variants can be fitted to the Navy's Ka-25's as well. The radar has been inducted by the Indian Navy and a more advanced variant of the Super Vision, known as the XV-2004 is now in production. The XV-2004 is also operational, and features an ISAR, SAR Capability.

@abingdonboy , If "ALH is only 5.5 tons and thus its payload, sensor and range/endurance will be highly limited , most modern ASW helos are in the 10-12 ton range. The ALH was never going to be an adequate platform for the IN's frontline ASW role." then why is DRDO/HAL pursuing the above developments. There might be some advancements in the ASW suite which has reduced weight and compact the sensors & suite for ASW roles which do not need a MRH ASW a ALH can do and that is what DRDO/ HAL want to do. Also we can use the LWT for killing submarines or precision weapons to increase the kill, instead of using dumb bombs like dept chargers laid by ASW helos. I am not sure what mix of weapons a ASW helo carries but it might have max two torpedos and some dumb bombs, we can have ALH with advance weapons ( might be imported or a JV). It makes sense to use a existing platform to deliver weapon in this case we only have a capable ALH which has proved its versatility till we have the IMRH ASW developed we can depend on ALH for ASW roles. Its indigenous and we can buy it in hundreds if we require. There can be a issue of range but if the area to store a MRH ASW and ALH is compared we can have two ALH's in place of one MRH so the area under operation can be divided and might increase the ability for detection (two eye in the air better than one). This is my take, my opinion. I might be wrong in my assumptions but economically and due to practical constrains a ALH ASW makes sense.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

India`s coastline is vast, mere number of imported MRH will be sufficient for fleet duties ..

For ASW operation from ground can be done with ALH as of now until we get our own MRH ..

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Much clear version ..

LCH armour panels qualified against 7.62 and 12.7 API ammunition

 

[Chinmoy]

Don't forget the IA is also interested in the Apache for the Western sector/plains.

The very reason why I said "tailor made for Mountain strike purpose".