HAL Prachand

 The HAL Prachand is an Indian multi-role, light attack helicopter designed and manufactured by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under project LCH. It has been ordered by the Indian Indian Air Force and the Indian Army. Its flight ceiling is the highest among all attack helicopters in the world. 

The true impetus for the development of the LCH Prachand came in the form of the Kargil War, a conflict fought between India and neighbouring Pakistan in 1999, which revealed the Indian armed forces lacked a suitable armed rotorcraft capable of operating unrestricted in the high-altitude theatre. Accordingly, both HAL and the Indian armed forces commenced exploratory efforts towards the conceptualisation of a combat helicopter to perform in this role. During 2006, the company announced that it had launched a development programme to produce such a rotorcraft, referred to simply as the LCH or Light Combat Helicopter. Originally, the LCH was anticipated to attain initial operating capability (IOC) by December 2010, however development of the type was protracted and subject to several delays, some of which having been attributed to suppliers.

                                            LCH Prachand in Leh 

The LCH Prachand drew extensively on an earlier indigenous helicopter developed and manufactured by HAL, the ALH Dhruv; using this rotorcraft as a starting point has been attributed as significantly reducing the cost of the programme.  On 29 March 2010, the first LCH prototype performed its maiden flight. An extensive test programme, involving a total of four prototypes, was conducted. During the course of these tests, the LCH gained the distinction of being the first attack helicopter to land in Siachen, having repeatedly landed at several high altitude helipads, some of which being as high as 13,600 feet (4145 meters) to 15,800 feet (4815 meters). During mid-2016, the LCH was recognised as having completed its performance trials, paving way for the certification of its basic configuration. On 26 August 2017, limited series production of the Prachand was formally inaugurated. On 19 November 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally handed over the LCH to IAF Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, clearing way for full scale induction. On 3 October 2022, the LCH was formally inducted into the IAF and it was officially renamed "Prachand".

During November 2016, the Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD) authorised the purchase of an initial batch of 15 LCHs with 10 for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and 5 for the Indian Army Aviation Corps (AAC), referred to as being a limited series production order. By mid-2017, the AAC had placed combined orders for 114 LCHs, while the IAF had a total of 65 LCHs on order. During early 2017, it was reported that the LCH's initial operating capability (IOC) with the Indian armed forces was expected to occur by 2018. The AAC intended to deploy theindigenous LCH alongside the American-built Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.

Achieving export sales for the LCH has been a stated priority of both HAL and the Indian government. During mid-2016, a spokesperson for the Indian Defence Ministry stated the ministry was in the progress of holding discussions with several unidentified African nations on the topic of the LCH. On 7 August 2020, IAF's Vice Chief Air Marshal Harjit Singh Arora flew an LCH from Thoise to Leh accompanied by a HAL test pilot in full mission configuration. On 12 August 2020, HAL announced that the Indian Air Force has deployed two LCH prototypes to Ladakh for conducting armed patrols from forward air bases. It can perform offensive operations at Siachen Glacier-Saltoro Mountains region. In January 2021, government gave initial approval for the production of an initial batch of 15 LCHs, ten for the IAF and five for the AAC.

On 1 June 2022, an attack squadron was raised by the Army Aviation Corps in Bangalore. A total of seven squadrons are planned, each with ten helicopters. IAF formally inducted HAL Prachand into 143 Helicopter Unit at Jodhpur Air Force Station on 3 October 2022.

The HAL Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) is a multirole combat helicopter, designed to perform various attack profiles, including relatively high altitude flight. The design and development of the LCH was done in-house, by the Rotary Wing Research and Design Centre (RWR&DC), an internal design office of HAL dedicated to the design of helicopters.

Equipped with a two-person tandem cockpit to accommodate a pilot and co-pilot/gunner, it has been developed to perform both the anti-infantry and anti-armour missions. In addition to these roles, the LCH is intended to be used for a variety of operational purposes, such as to perform air defence against slow-moving aerial targets, including both manned aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), participation in counter-insurgency operations (COIN) and Counter Surface Force Operations (CSFO), the destruction of enemy air defence operations and wider offensive use during urban warfare conditions, escort to special heliborne operations (SHBO), support of combat search and rescue (CSAR) operations, and armed aerial scouting duties.

 In terms of its basic configuration, the LCH possesses a relatively narrow fuselage and is equipped with stealth profiling, armour protection, and is equipped to conduct day-and-night combat operations. According to reports, the protective measures included in the rotorcraft includes a digital camouflage system, an infrared (IR) suppressor fitted to the engine exhaust, and an exterior covered by canted flat panels to minimise its radar cross-section (RCS). It is furnished with an integrated dynamic system, including a hingeless main rotor and bearing-less tail rotor, which works in conjunction with an anti-resonance isolation system to dampen vibrations. During Aero India 2011, HAL's Rotary Wing Research & Design Centre informed the press that the LCH is "probably the most agile design in the world because of its rotor".

The LCH had inherited many of its technical features from one of HAL's earlier indigenous rotorcraft, commonly known as the HAL Dhruv. Shared elements between the two helicopters include the power-plant used, both being powered by a pair of co-developed HAL/Turbomeca Shakti-1H1 derived from Safran Ardiden turboshaft engines, albeit fitted with infrared suppressors. The features that are unique to the rotorcraft includes its narrow fuselage, a crashworthy tricycle landing gear arrangement, crashworthy self-sealing fuel tanks, armour protection, and a low visibility profile; these design elements have been attributed as having resulted in a relatively lethal, agile and survivable rotorcraft. Atypically for a combat helicopter, it shall also be capable of high-altitude warfare (HAW), possessing an in-service operational ceiling of 6,000–6,500 metres (19,700–21,300 ft). 

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 15.8 m (51 ft 10 in)
• Wingspan: 4.60 m (15 ft 1 in)
• Height: 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in)
• Empty weight: 2,250 kg (4,960 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 5,800 kg (12,787 lb)
• Payload: 1,750 kg (3,860 lb) weapons
• Powerplant: 2 × HAL/Turbomeca Shakti-1H1 turboshaft, 1,032 kW (1,384 shp) each
• Main rotor diameter: 13.2 m (43 ft 4 in)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 268 km/h (167 mph, 145 kn)
• Never exceed speed: 330 km/h (205 mph, 178 kn)
• Range: 550 km (340 mi, 300 nmi) with weapons
• Endurance: 3 hours 10 minutes
• Service ceiling: 6,500 m (21,300 ft)
• Rate of climb: 12 m/s (2,400 ft/min)

Armament

• Guns: 1 x 20 mm M621 cannon on Nexter THL-20 turret
• Hardpoints: 4 , with provisions to carry combinations of:
  • Rockets:
    
    • 4 × 12 FZ275 LGR
  • Missiles:
    
    • Air-to-air missiles:
      • 4 × 2 Mistral
    • Anti-tank guided missile
      • 4 × 4 Dhruvastra (planned)
  • Bombs:
    
    • Cluster munition
    • Unguided bomb
    • Grenade launcher

Avionics

• Elbit CoMPASS optoelectronic suite
• Missile approach warning system
• Saab radar and laser warning system
• Chaff and flare dispensers