HAL’s Light Combat Helicopter is deployed for operations in Leh. File
| Photo Credit: ANI
The Defence Ministry on Friday (March 28, 2025) signed two contracts with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to buy 156 indigenous Light Combat Helicopters (LCH), as well as training and associated equipment, for a total of over ₹62,700 crore, excluding taxes.
The Indian Army will get 90 of the helicopters, while the remaining 66 are meant for the Indian Air Force. The contracts were signed soon after the deal got final sanction from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
“The supply of these helicopters shall commence from the third year and will be spread over the next five years. The contracts will enhance the combat capability of Armed Forces at high altitudes,” a Defence Ministry statement said.
This is India’s first indigenously designed and developed combat helicopter designed to operate at an altitude of over 5,000 metres. The helicopter also has a large number of components designed and manufactured in India, and it is planned to achieve an overall indigenous content of over 65% during the execution of this order, the Ministry said. “This will involve over 250 domestic companies, mostly MSMEs, and will generate over 8,500 direct & indirect jobs,” it added.
Flight refueller deal
The Ministry also signed a contract with Metrea Management for wet leasing of one flight refueller aircraft (FRA) to train IAF and Navy pilots in air-to-air refuelling. “Metrea will provide one KC135 aircraft within six months which will be the first FRA to be wet leased by IAF,” the statement added.
Another major deal to buy 97 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), the Mk1A, is set to be finalised in the next few months.
High altitude chopper
Both the Army and IAF have already inducted the LCH, with 15 limited series production models being approved at a cost of ₹4264 crore, with 10 going to the IAF and five for the Army. The IAF inducted the LCH into the 143 Helicopter Unit ‘Dhanush’ at Jodhpur Air Force Station in October 2022. The Army raised its first LCH squadron on June 1, 2022 at Bengaluru, which was later moved to Misamari in Assam.
The twin-engine LCH designed and developed by HAL is a 5 tonne to 8 tonne-class dedicated combat helicopter. It was conceptualised after the 1999 Kargil conflict when the need was felt for such a dedicated platform capable of operating in high altitudes. It is the only attack helicopter in the world which can land and take-off at an altitude of 5,000 m (16,400 ft) with a considerable load of weapons and fuel, significantly augmenting the firepower of the IAF and Army in high altitude areas. The helicopter has a combat radius of 500 km, going up to a service ceiling of 21,000 feet, which makes it ideal to operate at the high altitude areas of the Siachen glacier.
The LCH is armed with a 20 mm nose gun, 70 mm rockets, the anti-tank guided missile ‘Dhruvastra’, and MBDA’s air-to-air missile ‘Mistral-2’, which has a maximum interception range of 6.5 km.
Published – March 28, 2025 11:01 pm IST