HAL Prachand - Light Combat Helicopter (LCH)

[Tshering22]

I doubt LCH is even on Modi's radar (ignore the pun), nor is it really appropriate for him to do such interventions. I have to ask where the defence minister is in all this, his job should be to boost Indian defence industry but he seems to be MIA 99% of the time, you don't even see quotes from him in the media or any indication he pays attention to any of these matters.

Rajnath is a political appointment. You need to understand that he is not PM Modi's first choice; he's there because Rajnath was the one who elevated NaMo to the PM candidate position. If Rajnath has to step down, there has to be some major gaffe done by him that makes the public angry.

If Modi pushes Rajnath down on his own, Rajnath will take his entire political base and become a thorn within BJP. He will also make it difficult for Yogi to become a strong face in the UP as he has more experience than either of them in that state. Rajnath in adversarial role would try then to contest for UP elections as UP CM.

The PM does not want people who stay inside and become the enemy soon. So he will avoid removing Kadi Ninda Singh from RMO. There is only one non-controversial way to do it without creating enemies inside - take MoD under the PMO under Modi.

But then he will need to put Rajnath in another key ministry.

I'd rather have the MoD directly under the PM as it was under Indira Gandhi during the late 60s/70s.

 

[Chinmoy]

Pata nahi chal raha ki hase ya roye...Its one of the sexiest design i have ever seen in attack helis on the other hand only 15 nos in order..seems like army and airforce dosent want it...

LSP means services are now paying for its development and manufacturing.
These LSPs would be used to train and formulate strategy around it. These choppers are not the replacement of mi-24 and can't be used in the same role in same way. Moreover with this LSPs, pilots would be getting the hand on experience and few more changes could be seen afterwards based on user recommendations.

So hold your horses right now. Orders would come only after delivery of LSPs.

 

[Okabe Rintarou]

Rajnath is a political appointment. You need to understand that he is not PM Modi's first choice; he's there because Rajnath was the one who elevated NaMo to the PM candidate position. If Rajnath has to step down, there has to be some major gaffe done by him that makes the public angry.

If Modi pushes Rajnath down on his own, Rajnath will take his entire political base and become a thorn within BJP. He will also make it difficult for Yogi to become a strong face in the UP as he has more experience than either of them in that state. Rajnath in adversarial role would try then to contest for UP elections as UP CM.

The PM does not want people who stay inside and become the enemy soon. So he will avoid removing Kadi Ninda Singh from RMO. There is only one non-controversial way to do it without creating enemies inside - take MoD under the PMO under Modi.

But then he will need to put Rajnath in another key ministry.

I'd rather have the MoD directly under the PM as it was under Indira Gandhi during the late 60s/70s.

MoD under PM means it gets little to no attention.

 

[ezsasa]

I doubt LCH is even on Modi's radar (ignore the pun), nor is it really appropriate for him to do such interventions. I have to ask where the defence minister is in all this, his job should be to boost Indian defence industry but he seems to be MIA 99% of the time, you don't even see quotes from him in the media or any indication he pays attention to any of these matters.


Modi loosened the purse strings (increased discretionary funding and gave them large emergency budgets) and the services ran to import as fast as they could. The entire game is rigged against IDDM

HAL wouldn’t have taken the step of self financing of LCH LSP without RM and defence secretary approval.

The current LCH where were supposedly transferred to IAF, IAF hasn’t paid for them, not even advance money paid as far as I know.

he may not be in news, I don’t think he is absent in his duties.

 

[The Shrike]

MoD under PM means it gets little to no attention.

I don't think he has shown any keen interest in MoD.

 

[_merlin_]

They can place orders and defer payments. HAL is still government entity and no government-to-government entity transaction gets complete in one go.

This is what is happening (somewhat) with current 15 LSP LCH being manufactured by HAL. Its HAL's money being used and without any order from IA/IAF. So no question of deferring payments here because there is no order.

Also placing order for large numbers and deferring payments may not help if HAL has to pay its suppliers from its own pockets. Its pockets are not bottomless.

Mostly the issue here is perhaps that IA/IAF don't know what to do with the LCH. Or as I said earlier there is simply no money because the limited amount available is for regular foreign purchases/imports and emergency route too.

 

[Okabe Rintarou]

Old video, sorry if posted before.

 

[Tshering22]

This is what is happening (somewhat) with current 15 LSP LCH being manufactured by HAL. Its HAL's money being used and without any order from IA/IAF. So no question of deferring payments here because there is no order.

Also placing order for large numbers and deferring payments may not help if HAL has to pay its suppliers from its own pockets. Its pockets are not bottomless.

Mostly the issue here is perhaps that IA/IAF don't know what to do with the LCH. Or as I said earlier there is simply no money because the limited amount available is for regular foreign purchases/imports and emergency route too.

DON'T KNOW?!

They were the ones who wanted LCH right after Kargil war sine Mi-25s were unable to fly that high!

 

[_merlin_]

They why are they not placing orders? Either they don't know or don't have the money since that money is earmarked for imports.

Also the argument that there is no ATGM available does not fly because the Dhruvastra has reportedly cleared all tests. So integration with LCH will not take much time. Besides the LCH is not even ordered so its not like they will be available tomorrow and Dhruvastra is not available tomorrow. By the time any ordered LCH are available, Dhruvastra will be have been integrated and tested with LCH and ready for production.

 

[arnabmit]

Old video, sorry if posted before.

I used to stay beside Doddanekundi Lake back in 2007-2008... New rotor airframes would take off from HAL airport, travel over my house, and do all sorts of tests over the lake. It was one of my favourite pastimes to watch them do acrobatics over the lake from my window.

 

[Chinmoy]

DON'T KNOW?!

They were the ones who wanted LCH right after Kargil war sine Mi-25s were unable to fly that high!

Absolutely right.

But you know who played spoilsport here? IAF.

LCH was originally a IA project for IA operational need. But IAF highjacked it and our dear old Antony just gave it to them just like Apache. The delay we are seeing in LCH is because of IAF requirement instead of IA. Among the 15 LSPs we are talking now, first 10 would be for IAF. So IA would come later on in picture.

 

[Love Charger]

Absolutely right.

But you know who played spoilsport here? IAF.

LCH was originally a IA project for IA operational need. But IAF highjacked it and our dear old Antony just gave it to them just like Apache. The delay we are seeing in LCH is because of IAF requirement instead of IA. Among the 15 LSPs we are talking now, first 10 would be for IAF. So IA would come later on in picture.

Anything that flies belongs to iaf , mind it

 

[Akula]

Anything that flies belongs to iaf , mind it

IAF wants fly Rudra, Apache, Mi-35 and LCH. But what will they do with all these helicopters. Only Rudra makes sense for them.

 

[lcafanboy]

Diet Apache....

 

[Photon]

You can't make a helicopter even more slimmer than this

 

[Brood Father]

You can't make a helicopter even more slimmer than this

Looks like Apache after GM diet ..

 

[Akula]

LCH for Army.

 

[Tshering22]

Anything that flies belongs to iaf , mind it

IAF is idiotic and lives in the 80s even today. Helicopters are CAS and logistical assets and should therefore be under the Army Aviation. All Mi-17s, Dhruvs, Apaches, LUHs, LCHs, Rudra, and Chinooks should be with the Army except come VVIP and commander-user helicopters with IAF.

 

[Haldilal]

IAF is idiotic and lives in the 80s even today. Helicopters are CAS and logistical assets and should therefore be under the Army Aviation. All Mi-17s, Dhruvs, Apaches, LUHs, LCHs, Rudra, and Chinooks should be with the Army except come VVIP and commander-user helicopters with IAF.

Ya'll Nibbiars helicopter makes most of the IAF today if taken away IAF will be reduced to less. The fixed wing aviation transport section is small compared to the Russian, Mleechas and the Amerike. We can't so little with such a small defenc budget compared to the them expect the Russians.

 

[Love Charger]

LCH for Army.

Y'all nibbiars , good pics