HAL Prachand - Light Combat Helicopter (LCH)

[abingdonboy]

Yes but we cannot afford Apaches in large number and for ease of maintenance and logistics, better to give the Apaches to the IAF while IA gets the LCH in large numbers and IA can easily maintain and support the LCH. IA would have a hard time maintaining a large number of LCHs given its priorities elsewhere. Amateurs think tactics, Professionals think logistics.

This makes no sense.

doctrine dictates everything. Apaches will be essential part of the IBGs, it makes no sense for the IAF to have any of them

 

[Blademaster]

This makes no sense.

doctrine dictates everything. Apaches will be essential part of the IBGs, it makes no sense for the IAF to have any of them

Again Amateurs think tactics Professionals think logistics. Doctrines also revolve around logistics. From a logistical perspective, it makes more sense for the IAF to take the Apaches while IA take the LCH.

Whatever technology Apaches have, DRDO can duplicate and import it to LCH. Apaches are only useful for low terrain strikes against Pakistan, not against China in the Himalayas.

 

[Blademaster]

And by giving the Apaches to the IAF, we keep the purchases of Apaches small and would not need to purchase anymore Apaches while we can make more purchases of the LCH for the IA because they need a lot of these.

 

[abingdonboy]

Again Amateurs think tactics Professionals think logistics. Doctrines also revolve around logistics. From a logistical perspective, it makes more sense for the IAF to take the Apaches while IA take the LCH.

Whatever technology Apaches have, DRDO can duplicate and import it to LCH. Apaches are only useful for low terrain strikes against Pakistan, not against China in the Himalayas.

You’ve taken that phrase far too literally.

are you telling me that when a military orders something the first thing theh do is define the logistics footprint? No. They create requirements based on desired capabilities.

Apache is a tank buster through and through. It’s utility to india lays almost solely in the plains, is the PLA going to be sending large heavy armour columns across the Himalayas ? No. But this is a real threat in the West so systems need to be deployed accordingly

as it is the IAF’s attack helicopters are just attached to IA commands and units, what an absurdly wasteful way of utilising assets just because the IAF thinks they should own everything that flies. IA officers inherently are more suitable to be used in the anti-tank game than IAF officers

long term I hope HAL develops a HCH based on the IMRH as clearly india will never induct enough Apaches to meet its needs

if it was up to me all LCH and Apaches would be with the IA with maybe a handful (30 Max) of LCH retained by the IAF for escort duties and counter UAV roles

 

[Blademaster]

You’ve taken that phrase far too literally.

are you telling me that when a military orders something the first thing theh do is define the logistics footprint? No. They create requirements based on desired capabilities.

Apache is a tank buster through and through. It’s utility to india lays almost solely in the plains, is the PLA going to be sending large heavy armour columns across the Himalayas ? No. But this is a real threat in the West so systems need to be deployed accordingly

as it is the IAF’s attack helicopters are just attached to IA commands and units, what an absurdly wasteful way of utilising assets just because the IAF thinks they should own everything that flies. IA officers inherently are more suitable to be used in the anti-tank game than IAF officers

long term I hope HAL develops a HCH based on the IMRH as clearly india will never induct enough Apaches to meet its needs

if it was up to me all LCH and Apaches would be with the IA with maybe a handful (30 Max) of LCH retained by the IAF for escort duties and counter UAV roles

No, doctrine is molded by logistical constraints and needs. Saying that Apaches is only good for tank busting and must be given to IA completely ignores the reality of logistical constraints. Otherwise you end up in the same situation that Russian Army found itself in the Ukraine conflict.

And I say leave the Apaches with teh IAF because it shuts the IAF up about the LCH helicopters going to IA. IAF is always jealous of its turf and can be rather illogical about it. To prevent IAF from messing up IA's plans, give the Apaches to the IAF as a STFU gift and let IA get the helicopters it needs to support its ground operations.

 

[SUPERPOWER]

View attachment 148035View attachment 148036View attachment 148037View attachment 148038
Enjoy!!!!

Why cant they close this glass area...too much of visibility..atleast closing it will also help pilots to get a better visibility of screen in sunlight ...

 

[pipebomb]

I have two questions related to on going nato-rus war in Ukraine.

1. Did apache ever operated in a manpads rich environment as in Ukraine.

2. Is tail rotor present a bigger venerability for gunship helicopters.

 

[abingdonboy]

Why cant they close this glass area...too much of visibility..atleast closing it will also help pilots to get a better visibility of screen in sunlight ...

View attachment 148932

I’d rather trust the designers and their TPs to make these decisions. I’ve never flown a helicopter but my assumption is you can never have too much visibility especially when most of their flying is done VFR (visually)

Also given that anti-UAV is one of the LCH’s primary missions it makes sense to keep such windows for looking up and out

 

[SwordOfDarkness]

Why cant they close this glass area...too much of visibility..atleast closing it will also help pilots to get a better visibility of screen in sunlight ...

View attachment 148932

Lol. Pilots always want more visibility, not less. Instead of deleting windows, control panels have a sort of "hood" which extends forwards.

for example:

 

[Corvus Splendens]

I have two questions related to on going nato-rus war in Ukraine.

1. Did apache ever operated in a manpads rich environment as in Ukraine.

2. Is tail rotor present a bigger venerability for gunship helicopters.

1. Yes in the Iraq war.

2. Least of your worries.

 

[aspdeepak]

 

[pipebomb]

1. Yes in the Iraq war.

2. Least of your worries.

1. To this(ukr) extent ?

2. Would you kindly expand on this

 

[samsaptaka]

Lol. Weapon suites were tested and cleared. It's the govt which did not want to go with Mistral ATGM as they are expensive. Hell, even rockets were not ordered. The fun part is ALH Rudra has rocket launcher but not rockets as they are expensive.

I think it was only in 2020 Helina has finished trials. And some initial launchers and missiles have been ordered for Rudra.
For IAF version, they are still wanting Mistral A2A missiles. This project is the height of mismanagement led by MoD and Indian army. This bird was initially designed for IAF and sometime early this decade, Indian Army also got rights to operate attack choppers leading to different requirements to.be accommodated in one single chopper.

Why is the IA getting the smaller number?? I am so sick of this stupid turf war between IAF and IA. IAF needs to be told shut up and concentrate on its fixed wing assets while IA gets the necessary equipment to support its combat operations.

@WarrenSS, why are the numbers so small? Will they order more numbers?

Exactly the other way around.

there’s no role for the Apache with the IAF. The Apache is a tank buster for the plains, it will be deployed with the army 90% of the time even if under IAF service

LCH can be used for ‘some’ IAF roles (escort duties, counter-UAV etc )

What an absolute cluster fk ! IAF instead of concentrating on increasing the depleted squadron numbers by ordering more Tejas and Rafale is busy with a turf war with army to acquire more LCH which has more role with army as a CAS and tank busting platform. Also leading to changing requirements to be integrated and tested leading to more delays and more cost leading to CCS saying no money and ordering only 15 ! All Babu's and top brass involved in this cluster fk must be fired asap ! (yeah right ! in my dreams)

 

[Corvus Splendens]

1. To this(ukr) extent ?

2. Would you kindly expand on this

1. Iraq had a healthy stockpile of Soviet manpads. Igla-1 and Strela-2. They shot down just about every type of Helicopter Americans and their allies fielded. From utility choppers to Cobras and Apaches. Approximately 40-50 helicopters were lost to enemy fire during the Gulf War, mostly manpads.

2. Modern day helicopters can still make a safe landing even if they lose the tail rotor. Hydraulics, Gearbox, Main Rotor heads, Engines and Flight Controls are much more vulnerable.

 

[Photon]

 

[vishnugupt]

Sayad, Pahle wala Daru pi ke uda rha hai.

 

[Love Charger]

Sayad, Pahle wala Daru pi ke uda rha hai.

Agar Ganja Phook ke udata to straight udata ekdum

 

[ShukantC]

Everyone is saying that HAL should equip the LCH with an IADS (RWR,MAWS,LWR etc), but my question is have we developed the system inhouse or are we planning to install the Saab IADS system as we did on the Rudra.

I know we made similar systems that go on fighter jets (LCA, Mig 29, Su30mki), so can these be adopted for helicopter uses.....

Can someone please clarify my doubts.....

 

[joy_tilak]

Same questions that ShukantC has.

Also, any idea if LCH is going to get a radar like Apache?

 

[ShukantC]

Everyone is saying that HAL should equip the LCH with an IADS (RWR,MAWS,LWR etc), but my question is have we developed the system inhouse or are we planning to install the Saab IADS system as we did on the Rudra.

I know we made similar systems that go on fighter jets (LCA, Mig 29, Su30mki), so can these be adopted for helicopter uses.....

Can someone please clarify my doubts.....

Got my answer... Only thing unknown is the timeline ….