The Indian Army first received its first light combat helicopter (LCH) before the Indian Air Force (IAF) officially deployed the first batch of LCH. One unit of the original indigenously designed combat helicopter India was handed over to the Army Aviation Corps by HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) on Thursday, 29 September 2022.
The Director General of Additional Public Information (ADG PI – Indian Army) shared the information in a tweet. “The original designed & developed Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) has been inducted into the Indian Army. HAL officially handed over the first LCH to the Director General, Army Aviation Corps. The highly manoeuvrable and agile LCH will significantly increase combat capability,”
Previously, on 30 March 2022, the Cabinet Committee for Security (CCS) authorised the purchase of 15 Limited Series Production (LSP) helicopters from HAL for a value of Rs. 3,887 crores.
The Indian Air Force will receive ten, and the Indian Army will use the remaining five. The Indian Army is expected to receive another four LCH helicopters by the end of this October
Regarding the LCH, it is a multi-role combat helicopter designed and manufactured by HAL, built at HAL’s helicopter division in Bengaluru. The aircraft can carry rockets, air-to-air and anti-tank missiles, and bombs.
