NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force (IAF) and Army have grounded their Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) which are named as Prachanda. Sources in the IAF said the machines are undergoing checks and procedures as prescribed by the manufacturer HAL.
“Our machine was grounded post the accident of the ALH Dhruv which crashlanded on May 4,” said a source in the Army. The helicopter crashlanded in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district after the pilots reported a technical fault to the air traffic control. This was the third such incident and for the second time in less than two months that the army has grounded the ALH fleet.
The accident had led to the loss of life of a soldier and the two pilots were injured. LCH is a variant of ALH. The Army and the IAF operate five LCH each. The Army had inducted its first of the 95 LCH in September 2022 and the unit is designated for mountain combat role. The Indian Air Force inducted its first unit of the indigenous LCH at Jodhpur in Rajasthan in October last year.
The source in the HAL said that the machine has been tested thoroughly in various climatic conditions, including the high altitude and cold climate of the Siachen. Light Combat Helicopter Limited Series Production (LSP) is an indigenously designed, developed and manufactured state-of-the-art modern combat helicopter containing approximately 45% indigenous content by value which will progressively rise to more than 55% for SP Version, said the Defence ministry.
The helicopter is powered by a twin Shakti Engine and has a range of 500 km and a maximum speed of 268 kmph. It is compatible for high-altitude deployment with the capability to take off and land at about 5000 metre (16,400 feet).
It should be noted that the IAF is in the process of finalising the number of light combat helicopters to be procured. These choppers may replace the ageing Russian Mi-25 and Mi-35 attack choppers. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in March 2022 approved the procurement of 15 Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Limited Series Production at the cost of `3,887 crores along with Infrastructure sanctions worth Rs. 377 crores. Of these, 5 light combat helicopters are to be inducted into the Indian Army.
