HAL Prachand - Light Combat Helicopter (LCH)

abingdonboy

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PLA aviation brigades are building up their helo force by the 100, India responding by taking 10+ years to even order just *15* units and IMRH is nowhere to even be seen (still waiting for CCS approval)


Let’s hope the Chinese are nice enough to wait for india to take these things seriously and get the full 65+114 LCH orders complete (at this point will be lucky before 2040)
 

SwordOfDarkness

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Rajaraja Chola

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12 years on no weapons integration suite nor warning systems integrated. HAL is providing an unfinished project. What is HAL taking more than a decade to do it?

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.
 

Blademaster

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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?
 

abingdonboy

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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?
Eventually the IA is meant to have ~2X the LCH of the IAF

having all these assets split between the 2 services is crazy either way
 

Blademaster

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Eventually the IA is meant to have ~2X the LCH of the IAF

having all these assets split between the 2 services is crazy either way
Yes it is. Apaches should go with IAF. LCH should go with IA. IAF does not need a large number of Apaches. IA does and LCH fits the bill.
 

abingdonboy

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Yes it is. Apaches should go with IAF. LCH should go with IA. IAF does not need a large number of Apaches. IA does and LCH fits the bill.
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 )
 

Blademaster

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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.
 

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