HAL Prachand - Light Combat Helicopter (LCH)

Chinmoy

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Instead of selecting and ordering ATGM and AA missiles for our Rudra and LCH helis, the army wants more Apache. Our LCH and Rudra can each carry 4 ATGM and Rockets or 8 ATGM, enough to flatten local armour incursion.
It’s a sad thing even after testing is completed,
Our platform is not weaponised yet
What you are talking about?

IA is operating 75 Rudra which is already equipped with Mistral and Helina already tested from it.

The more Apache you are talking about is actually half of what IA wanted back in 2013. The idea of IA was to equip each of the three strike corp with 13 Apaches which makes it total 39. But now they are asking for 17 Apaches. So 17Apaches against 70 LCH, what's bad in it?
 

Rajaraja Chola

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What you are talking about?

IA is operating 75 Rudra which is already equipped with Mistral and Helina already tested from it.

The more Apache you are talking about is actually half of what IA wanted back in 2013. The idea of IA was to equip each of the three strike corp with 13 Apaches which makes it total 39. But now they are asking for 17 Apaches. So 17Apaches against 70 LCH, what's bad in it?
tested is different than being ordered and deployed on it. Mistral has been tested nearly a decade back but guess what MoD didn’t want to place order due to higher cost. No Helina has been ordered yet. It’s a toothless platform right now. MoD even has a problem with 70mm rockets cos it’s expensive and ToT is only local
assembly. I guess their numbers are also only enough.
For the cost of ordering Apache Army could take a stand and order it’s basic necessary weapons.
 

aspdeepak

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tested is different than being ordered and deployed on it. Mistral has been tested nearly a decade back but guess what MoD didn’t want to place order due to higher cost. No Helina has been ordered yet. It’s a toothless platform right now. MoD even has a problem with 70mm rockets cos it’s expensive and ToT is only local
assembly. I guess their numbers are also only enough.
For the cost of ordering Apache Army could take a stand and order it’s basic necessary weapons.

Don't be pessimistic and don't call Toothless, without realising the true potential of the platform


Though it's an off-topic, I would like to highlight what happened when Kolkatta class destroyers where inducted, arm-chair critics were so pessimistic, and called it defenceless, since it missed the SAMs.

Later 4 × 8-cell VLS for Barak 8 LR-SAM missiles were inducted! which is currently one of the best in class missiles out there !!

LCH is a weapon platform, which has huge potential for upgrades.

I'm not sure when will we get out of this pessimistic mindset :facepalm:
 
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Rajaraja Chola

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Don't be pessimistic and don't call Toothless, without realising the true potential of the platform


Though it's an off-topic, I would like to highlight what happened when Kolkatta class destroyers where inducted, arm-chair critics were so pessimistic, and called it defenceless, since it missed the SAMs.

Later 4 × 8-cell VLS for Barak 8 LR-SAM missiles were inducted! which is currently one of the best in class missiles out there !!

LCH is a weapon platform, which has huge potential for upgrades.

I'm not sure when will we get out of this pessimistic mindset :facepalm:
i said it’s an Toothless platform “right now”and I stand by it, until the MoD and Army, AF clears the weaponisation programme.

Bringing in Kolkata class destroyers is a pretty bad idea,cos similar class destroyers is 64 SAM system. Plus some anti ship missiles.But for our Indian Ocean region it’s good enough.

As for LCH we will call it Beast when it is weaponised.
 

itsme

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i said it’s an Toothless platform “right now”and I stand by it, until the MoD and Army, AF clears the weaponisation programme.

Bringing in Kolkata class destroyers is a pretty bad idea,cos similar class destroyers is 64 SAM system. Plus some anti ship missiles.But for our Indian Ocean region it’s good enough.

As for LCH we will call it Beast when it is weaponised.
and get the MAWS & possible FCR. Some heli launched drones/loitering munitions perhaps.
 

aspdeepak

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i said it’s an Toothless platform “right now”and I stand by it, until the MoD and Army, AF clears the weaponisation programme.



Bringing in Kolkata class destroyers is a pretty bad idea,cos similar class destroyers is 64 SAM system. Plus some anti ship missiles.But for our Indian Ocean region it’s good enough.



As for LCH we will call it Beast when it is weaponised.

Just for fun: Everyone is born toothless, You, me and everyone! :)

And eventually get strong teeth(and loose it :p)!!
Eurofighter and others followed the same suit! the weapon package is added after induction!

About INS Kolkatta: No amount of SAM is enough for a big target like Warships, but it all depends on the strategy of warfare!! We create area denial zone which is broad enough for our threat perspective. LRSAM has a decent range to create a bigger bubble around the warship! Again its about tactics and strategy, in the era of ASCM and drones!

About missile integration LCH has already test fired AAM Mistral!
So any missile can be integrated, if it's available.
You are absolutely correct on the cost of the missile, for the same reason why we don't want to procure hellfire or brimstone(very expensive).

HELINA is already tested in Rudra, it's just a matter of time, it's tested in LCH.

We are not in a hurry to induct the missiles yet! Should there be a need integration can be accelerated!!

I don't want to continue this discussion further, since there's no cure for pessimistic attitude!! :troll:

(Naaanum Thamizhan thaanda!!)
 

Chinmoy

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tested is different than being ordered and deployed on it. Mistral has been tested nearly a decade back but guess what MoD didn’t want to place order due to higher cost. No Helina has been ordered yet. It’s a toothless platform right now. MoD even has a problem with 70mm rockets cos it’s expensive and ToT is only local
assembly. I guess their numbers are also only enough.
For the cost of ordering Apache Army could take a stand and order it’s basic necessary weapons.
Get your facts right.

IA/ IAF ALHs are already flying with 70mm rockets and Mistral. You are mixing up Mistral with Spike.

IA has never pitched for Spike in Rudra in first place. Apache and LCH got muddled up by IAF involvement and not by IA. IA was clear in their requirement for anti armour role and high altitude warfre role. When Apache first came in picture, IA wanted to operate them for anti armour role and this was way before LCH even started weapon trial. IA never said that they are not interested in LCH and infact if you follow the HAL chairman interviews, they were actively involved in its design phase.

Things gone bad for LCH with the involvement of IAF where ACM Browne famously said that we don't require a sub airforce and actively pitched to have control over all fighting air asset. LCH suffered because of turf war in between IA and IAF. Even now IAF is getting the first 10 LSPs then IA. You can't keep on blaming IA for asking a platform to get operational advantage.

Placing order for a under-development platform doesn't make it operational ready.
 

Rajaraja Chola

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Get your facts right.

IA/ IAF ALHs are already flying with 70mm rockets and Mistral. You are mixing up Mistral with Spike.

IA has never pitched for Spike in Rudra in first place. Apache and LCH got muddled up by IAF involvement and not by IA. IA was clear in their requirement for anti armour role and high altitude warfre role. When Apache first came in picture, IA wanted to operate them for anti armour role and this was way before LCH even started weapon trial. IA never said that they are not interested in LCH and infact if you follow the HAL chairman interviews, they were actively involved in its design phase.

Things gone bad for LCH with the involvement of IAF where ACM Browne famously said that we don't require a sub airforce and actively pitched to have control over all fighting air asset. LCH suffered because of turf war in between IA and IAF. Even now IAF is getting the first 10 LSPs then IA. You can't keep on blaming IA for asking a platform to get operational advantage.

Placing order for a under-development platform doesn't make it operational ready.
You are talking totally unrelated topic. I don’t care bout the politics here but care of proper weaponisation of the fleet we have. We have 70 Rudra in service. It does not have in service Mistral or ATGM missiles. Have been tested yes but not ordered.
So do not put words in my mouth please

 

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