HAL Prachand - Light Combat Helicopter (LCH)

[gryphus-scarface]

I don't think retrofitting LCH for an MMW radar is a wise idea. You can stick them on a special purpose scout heli and data link the targeting coordinates to LCH. It is just asking for more delays.

Why not though? Now you need two platforms for something that could be done by one. It increases the capabilities of a platform. You don't need the scout heli, so you increase survivability in a way.

 

[Armand2REP]

Why not though? Now you need two platforms for something that could be done by one. It increases the capabilities of a platform. You don't need the scout heli, so you increase survivability in a way.

Because it is asking for more delays. When dealing with retrofitting requirements from HAL... come on. You know what happens. They need to come to a common config and start pumping them out by the hundreds.

 

[Advaidhya Tiwari]

I don't think retrofitting LCH for an MMW radar is a wise idea. You can stick them on a special purpose scout heli and data link the targeting coordinates to LCH. It is just asking for more delays.

LCH is in limited series production. So, we have enormous opportunity to upgrade at every step. As of now only 15 LCH is on order and that itself will take till 2020. So, enough time and scope

 

[abingdonboy]

Because it is asking for more delays. When dealing with retrofitting requirements from HAL... come on. You know what happens. They need to come to a common config and start pumping them out by the hundreds.

Stop seeing ghosts where there are none. No
One has said this will delay deliveries, this is a capability that will be added later and can come on new builds or retrofitted at a later date.

It’s a pretty simple addition, it won’t be a fundamental fix that will need massively amounts of re-design. It’s just a question of integration.

 

[Armand2REP]

Stop seeing ghosts where there are none. No
One has said this will delay deliveries, this is a capability that will be added later and can come on new builds or retrofitted at a later date.

When it comes to HAL, delays are what haunts them continuously. Keeping a common configuration once they are trained to make it is the only way to get numbers on time.

It’s a pretty simple addition, it won’t be a fundamental fix that will need massively amounts of re-design. It’s just a question of integration.

It actually isn't so simple for a rotor with no fixed point to mount anything. The entire assembly will have to be redesigned.

 

[abingdonboy]

When it comes to HAL, delays are what haunts them continuously. Keeping a common configuration once they are trained to make it is the only way to get numbers on time.



It actually isn't so simple for a rotor with no fixed point to mount anything. The entire assembly will have to be redesigned.

1) this won’t effect any current orders.
2) not all LCHs will need to have this radar only one in three so any delays need not effect the entire order book.

It’s a plug and play system, it won’t effect training that much, it can be integrated just like any other system

 

[Advaidhya Tiwari]

1) this won’t effect any current orders.
2) not all LCHs will need to have this radar only one in three so any delays need not effect the entire order book.

It’s a plug and play system, it won’t effect training that much, it can be integrated just like any other system

@Armand2REP makes sense. It is a radar to be mounted on the rotor blade. So, there has to be a fixed point over it so that the radar does not rotate at hundreds of revolution a minute along with the rotor. So, it can't be a plug and play system. It will require redesign of rotor

 

[abingdonboy]

@Armand2REP makes sense. It is a radar to be mounted on the rotor blade. So, there has to be a fixed point over it so that the radar does not rotate at hundreds of revolution a minute along with the rotor. So, it can't be a plug and play system. It will require redesign of rotor

Who said it was going to be that design? It might be the type seen on the Tiger where it’s fixed backs the cockpit. You think these designers are idiots?

HAL and drdo have been working on a MMR for LCH for a while now.

 

[Armand2REP]

1) this won’t effect any current orders.
2) not all LCHs will need to have this radar only one in three so any delays need not effect the entire order book.

It’s a plug and play system, it won’t effect training that much, it can be integrated just like any other system

The current rotor mount turns at thousands of rpms per minute. You cannot plug anything to it. You have to add a non-moving core and rebuild the rotor shaft around the mount. This would completely derail future production with the massive design changes this would require.

 

[abingdonboy]

The current rotor mount turns at thousands of rpms per minute. You cannot plug anything to it. You have to add a non-moving core and rebuild the rotor shaft around the mount. This would completely derail future production with the massive design changes this would require.

Like Ive said above. They’ve been working on this for years so I’m sure they have a solution in mind. Besides the mast mounted solution isn’t the only
Option.

And once again, not all LCH will be equipped with the MMR so there won’t be ably derailing of future production at all.

 

[ram singh तोपची]

should IAF maintain fleet of combat helicopter / helicopter gun ships or transfer all of it to army, if yes why ,if no why not

 

[Enquirer]

should IAF maintain fleet of combat helicopter / helicopter gun ships or transfer all of it to army, if yes why ,if no why not

IAF will continue to operate large transport helicopters.....combat/attack helicopters will be required as a escort to these helos (at the least)

 

[ram singh तोपची]

well in my opinion [which does not matter anyways] IAF should operate only heavy lift transport helicopters since army aviation operates LUH and will be operating large no of combat/attack helicopters in near future . the point i am getting to is about AH 64s to be operated by IAF , i think army can employ them better cos they know the lay of the land and tactics better they also know there men and there requirements better what use will it serve to have same assets in two different arms. waste of resources

 

[Chinmoy]

well in my opinion [which does not matter anyways] IAF should operate only heavy lift transport helicopters since army aviation operates LUH and will be operating large no of combat/attack helicopters in near future . the point i am getting to is about AH 64s to be operated by IAF , i think army can employ them better cos they know the lay of the land and tactics better they also know there men and there requirements better what use will it serve to have same assets in two different arms. waste of resources

AH-64 would both be for IAF and IA. As of now IAF would get delivery of 22 and later on IA would get 6 for themselves.

 

[Immanuel]

AH-64 would both be for IAF and IA. As of now IAF would get delivery of 22 and later on IA would get 6 for themselves.

Expect another 39 ordered in the following 2 years

 

[Chinmoy]

Expect another 39 ordered in the following 2 years

Yeah.... Follow up order would be there for sure. But IAF is acting like a stubborn child of GoI. They should let go off the rotary warcraft and let AAC operate them.

But then again, internal politics plays a lot.

 

[WolfPack86]

HAL Light Combat Helicopter (#LCH) armed with MISTRAL ATAM Air-to-Air Guided Missile and a 20 mm M621 cannon on Nexter THL-20 turret. Picture Via: Deb Rana

 

[Bhadra]

IAF will continue to operate large transport helicopters.....combat/attack helicopters will be required as a escort to these helos (at the least)

Escort ???
Escort against what ??
Are attack helicopters adequate / suitable against that threat ??

 

[rkhanna]

Escort ???
Escort against what ??
Are attack helicopters adequate / suitable against that threat ??

Well no combat system is adequate against all threats

Enough case studies for CAS and escorts of armed rotary wing helos from Vietnam to Syria in both contested and uncontested airspace.

Armed escorts will increase the survivability probability of transports to their objective

Escort against what ? - enemy infantry / unsanitized landing zones , protecting flanks from opfor rotary wing interdiction / limited SEAD / delivering SOF troops to objective and providing cover for hot extractions etc etc

Strategies are constantly built around transport packages and refined as learning experiences go.

 

[Enquirer]

Escort ???
Escort against what ??
Are attack helicopters adequate / suitable against that threat ??

Do you have a sensible question to ask?
Escort helos identify and neutralize ground/air based threats!
Obviously nothing is completely 'adequate', but given the speed and flight envelope of a transport helo, an attack helo provides a decent level of protection.