HAL Prachand - Light Combat Helicopter (LCH)

[arkos]

Why does the IAF need attack helicopters

Waste of money. The CDS on the other hand talks about theatre commands and integrated operations. The absolute state of the military leadership.

 

[abingdonboy]

Not sure we should take tension on future mk1a orders when the 1st production mk1a is yet to be seen from an existing order .

Stupid logic. Production is always lagging, if you wait until you have all 83 in service the production line will long since be idle

 

[abingdonboy]

Same reason for which they needed almost a lakh AK-203s

Jokes aside, hope this doesn't cause another Apache like situation where army is forced to buy more for no reason.

The reporting in this is very vague and doesn’t really explain the specifics but the ANI report says IAF is the ‘lead agency’ for the 156 but it’s a joint purchase with the majority going to the IA. Not sure why the IAF is the lead agency when the IA is getting the larger chunk but alas Indian procurement barely makes sense at the best of times

This is a mammoth firepower increase considering until very recently the most attack helicopters operated were ~3 squadrons of MI-35, with 171+22+6 attack helos not even including all the Rudra that’s an insane turnaround in airborne firepower, I can’t think of a single other area where india is expanding its actual capabilities on this scale (easily a 4-5x expansion)

If this order is placed in the next 3 years I’ll be very surprised, even more surprised if they do it in one go and not 30+30+30….. spread over 15 years

 

[abingdonboy]

WTF. 15B$ . I hope those officials were just pulling random numbers.

total package cost (training, spares, simulators, weapons etc) which I’m 90% sure will include a PBN also

36 Rafales cost ~$8bn USD and this was in 2015 prices (maybe 30% more now)

but I don’t think $15bn is the price for 100 but 83+100

 

[abingdonboy]

Waste of money. The CDS on the other hand talks about theatre commands and integrated operations. The absolute state of the military leadership.

Rawat talked about that, not sure what the current one is interested in

 

[Freedom Thru Firepower]

 

[raju1982]

Seeing is believing. In last 8 years they could not complete delivery of 40 Tejas mk1. lol

 

[AnantS]

Seeing is believing. In last 8 years they could not complete delivery of 40 Tejas mk1. lol

https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/delivery-of-single-seat-tejas-lca-mark-1-fighters-to-iaf-completed-123082300824_1.html

 

[raju1982]

https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/delivery-of-single-seat-tejas-lca-mark-1-fighters-to-iaf-completed-123082300824_1.html

Still it took them more than 8 years to deliver 40 aircrafts. Hope total three production lines will improve this. But 156 LCH in 5/6 years is impossible for HAL thanks to their track record

 

[AnantS]

Still it took them more than 8 years to deliver 40 aircrafts. Hope total three production lines will improve this. But 156 LCH in 5/6 years is impossible for HAL thanks to their track record

Perhaps you right or perhaps they will achieve some figure near that. In defence aviation delivery timelines are most of the times stretchy across world esp when you are ab initio establishing production lines for new type. In 8 years HAL was not only just delivering aircrafts but taking feedbacks developing correcting based on suggestions and observation. Result is an aircraft which is tailored to iaf needs. None imported aircrafts or even locally assemble ones gave us this advantage ever without asking for arm and leg for even small changes.

 

[johnj]

Still it took them more than 8 years to deliver 40 aircrafts. Hope total three production lines will improve this. But 156 LCH in 5/6 years is impossible for HAL thanks to their track record

In the case of LCA, Its not HAL fault, but ADAs, CoVid and GoI.
ADA is the R&D org for LCA, not HAL
From 2010 t0 2019 HAL build 16 LCA ioc, from 2019 to 2023, 16 foc and now building/delivering 8 trainer, HAL can only build LCA after getting permission from ADA.
LCH is HAL product, so they can easily build 25 or 40 or upto 90 per year and nos depends on total order and order of rudra & dhruv

 

[SUPERPOWER]

Indian Airforce : Humne to feka tha par saala HAL humse bhi badi badi fekta hai..

 

[jai jaganath]

Seeing is believing. In last 8 years they could not complete delivery of 40 Tejas mk1. lol

Mate that's the size of the order
When u order 16 then again 16 and then 8 its doesn't make sense to setup huge production line and deliver early
These things are well known to GoI ADA and IAF but even then..........

 

[raju1982]

Mate that's the size of the order
When u order 16 then again 16 and then 8 its doesn't make sense to setup huge production line and deliver early
These things are well known to GoI ADA and IAF but even then..........

True but MoD, IAF, HAL, ADA all are GoI entities and single person, Defence Minister at the helm. There should have been minimum 'ball in your court' type in this arguments. But that is exactly what HAL, ADA and IAF doing. US planned well regarding JSF, it could have been a case study for MoD entities how a huge project management office run. Tech problems will always be there.

For example, after inducting the INS Vikrant, IN/MoD now searching an aircraft for it.

 

[jai jaganath]

True but MoD, IAF, HAL, ADA all are GoI entities and single person, Defence Minister at the helm. There should have been minimum 'ball in your court' type in this arguments. But that is exactly what HAL, ADA and IAF doing. US planned well regarding JSF, it could have been a case study for MoD entities how a huge project management office run. Tech problems will always be there.

For example, after inducting the INS Vikrant, IN/MoD now searching an aircraft for it.

Point is goi iaf and ada having different approach has made such delays
Blaming hal won't do anything coz the are production agency and they have to build profit from it
But goi being indecisive, iaf giving small orders and keeping the manu speed low and focusing on imports and ada taking time to perfect the aircraft majorly contributed a lot to this delay

 

[FalconSlayers]

Order of 156 can be completed in 5-6 years

 

[Azaad]

Order of 156 can be completed in 5-6 years

I wonder why this is news. 3-4 yrs back when HAL Tumkur was being set up exclusively for hptr mfg, it was stated in a press release that at peak capacity HAL Tumkur had the ability to churn out 75-100 hptrs of various classes per annum PROVIDED orders aren't split into piece meal ones.

 

[assassin162]

Boys leaving no opportunity to advertise.....

 

[prateikf]

Boys leaving no opportunity to advertise.....

As per my knowledge we have acquired the mistral launcher for the LCH but not the missile itself owing to high costs. The Mistral missile can be easily integrated when and if acquired by our MOD or a foreign partner. At present our LCH lacks an Air to Air missile.

 

[abingdonboy]

Seeing is believing. In last 8 years they could not complete delivery of 40 Tejas mk1. lol

Stupid logic

they’ve already demonstrated they can deliver~30 ALH/year and that’s from their existing (maxxed out) production line in BLR, Tumkur is a massive greenfield facility that they can scale up as required and is designated purely for helicopter manufacturing

the only thing missing are ORDERS, production capacity is the by product

until March 2021 HAL only had orders for 40 LCA, what kind of production rate were you hoping for? 30/year?