In a fresh boost for 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' in the military sector, the Indian Air Force inducted the indigenously-developed Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) on 3 October 2022.
The LCH is made by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), and capable of firing a variety of missiles, and other weapons. It has stealth tech, armoured-protection systems, night attack capability and crash-worthy landing gear for better survivability. It is primarily designed for deployment in high-altitude regions.
The LCH is agile, has extended range, and also all-weather combat capability for a range of roles like search and rescue, destroying enemy air defence, and counter-insurgency. Some LCH features are similar to Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv.
The first batch of LCH was inducted into Air Force ranks at a ceremony in Rajasthan's Jodhpur. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari presided over the event.
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The procurement of 15 LCH at a cost of ₹3,887 crore was cleared in March 2022 by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ten of the helicopters are for the IAF, while 5 are for the Indian Army.