Indian Military Helicopters

JTull · Post by **JTull** » 06 Feb 2015 19:04

TD-3 seems to have a M2K type camouflage. Perhaps, advertising an IAF variant.

Thakur_B · Post by **Thakur_B** » 06 Feb 2015 19:18

JTull wrote:TD-3 seems to have a M2K type camouflage. Perhaps, advertising an IAF variant.

More like the russian arctic paint scheme.

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 06 Feb 2015 19:23

why oh why oh why cant they get professional photographers to take high rez pics of our mil gear

Prasad · Post by **Prasad** » 06 Feb 2015 22:47

Preach!!

JTull · Post by **JTull** » 07 Feb 2015 04:05

We'll get plenty of those after AI-15. But since when do BRFites have the patience...

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 07 Feb 2015 05:52

Please to ask kweschen regarding noise filtering/suppression, vibration daming/stabilization. Also LUH GTV on show or not?

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Feb 2015 07:47

is the Rudra FOCed and being produced for IA now? or is the top brass in a huddle how to cancel helina and replace with hellfire?

this week I first saw C17 takeoff from hal, followed few mins later by a Rudra with 4 round pods and the gun all fitted.

the way we converted some An32 to drop 1000lb bombs off the rear (iaf firepower demo in pokhran), if we could lay in MALD type wine racks and fill both rows of pallets with such racks loaded to the gunwales with 100kg bombs, the c17 goes into a climb..with angle and speed determining the spread...think of the hellacious barrage that would unleash.

Thakur_B · Post by **Thakur_B** » 08 Feb 2015 05:13

Singha wrote:or is the top brass in a huddle how to cancel helina and replace with hellfire?

Helina was eating away spike and pars 3 orders. I don't think hellfire will eat into helina orders.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 12 Feb 2015 13:23

V,tragic news and real bad news for the ALH/Dhruv on the eve of the Air show. Two senior pilots/officers have been lost and one's heart goes out to the members of the bereaved families. The Dhruv has been crashing with increasing regularity recently,esp. the ones in Ecuador making headlines internationally.
The MOD must make an immediate and comprehensive inquiry into the same ,find the reasons for the crashes and if need be ground the bird as has been done with our combat aircraft crashes.

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NEWS/news ... wsid=21673
Army helicopter crashes in Kashmir, 2 pilots killed

An Advanced Light Helicopter of the Indian Army crashed in the mountains of north Kashmir in Bandipore district on Wednesday evening killing a Lieutenant Colonel and a Major, who were piloting the chopper.

Defence sources said the ALH had taken off from Mansbal near Safapora and was on a routine night sortie. The Dhruv helicopter of the Army's aviation squadron crashed about 30 minutes after it took off.

Villagers told Rediff.com that they heard a loud bang after which the helicopter went up in flames.

“Bodies of the pilot and co-pilot have been recovered,” a senior police officer said.

A defence spokesman said a court of enquiry has been ordered.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 12 Feb 2015 16:01

RIP to the Pilots

With recent Dhruv crash in news they need to check at the HAL side for QA/QC and at the maintenance side if it needs further refinements , additional mandatory checks after x hours etc

Dhruv has been a stable work horse for long time and this is highly unlikely to be any design issue at this stage but QC/QA end is possible

Viv S · Post by **Viv S** » 13 Feb 2015 00:34

More than the crashes themselves, the frustrating thing for an outside observer is the fact that the Air Force creates a court of inquiry after every accident but its findings are rarely publicized. This being a technical rather than an operational issue, the IAF shouldn't have any particular hesitation in revealing the causes of the crash. (Assuming our journalists follow up on these stories.)

JTull · Post by **JTull** » 13 Feb 2015 17:02

Can any of the visitors to AI-15 ask if there are any plans to bring those LCH 'wings' to Rudra?
And if Dhruv will get the fenestrons? There hasn't been any news on that since the AI-13.

RoyG · Post by **RoyG** » 13 Feb 2015 20:23

The nose seems to have undergone a redesign.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 15 Feb 2015 06:46

Is this an old image of the mock up or the GTV?
Dhruv will not get fenestrons. LCH, LUH, nothing in india is getting a fenestron. They dont seem to see any value in it.

sooraj · Post by **sooraj** » 15 Feb 2015 10:19

India must seal $2.5 billion US chopper deals soon to avoid price hike: Boeing
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 240858.cms

US aviation major Boeing on Friday obliquely warned of a price hike if India did not close the two deals for its two iconic helicopters soon. "We are awaiting the Indian government's decision. We have extended the validity of our commercial bids when asked (in the past). But there is a point beyond which we cannot (hold the price line) due to inflationary pressures," Boeing India chief Pratyush Kumar said.

But the final commercial negotiations with Boeing have since then proceeded at a slow pace, with the already much-extended validity of its bids slated to finally end on March 31. The "approval process" for the two chopper deals is currently with the defence ministry's finance department. They will also have to be examined by the finance ministry before they can be submitted to the Cabinet committee on security for the final nod, said sources.

Indranil · Post by **Indranil** » 15 Feb 2015 12:27

Shreeman wrote:

Is this an old image of the mock up or the GTV?
Dhruv will not get fenestrons. LCH, LUH, nothing in india is getting a fenestron. They dont seem to see any value in it.

No, this is a mockup which has been around for quite some time now.

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 19 Feb 2015 09:43

Saurav Jha ‏@SJha1618 5m5 minutes ago

HAL Chmn says that Light Utility Helicopter first flight will take place by Mid-2015. Certification by April 2017.

Indranil · Post by **Indranil** » 19 Feb 2015 09:46

Yes, please!

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 19 Feb 2015 10:05

Saurav Jha ‏@SJha1618 18m18 minutes ago

HAL Chmn in a reply to my question says that LCH TD-4 will fly in April 2014. IOC for the IAF version by September 2015.

Indranil · Post by **Indranil** » 19 Feb 2015 10:12

In other news about LCH. The LCH's new stub wings are optimized (for sweep, incidence and anhedral) to offload the main rotor.

This gives the LCH 25 kmph more top speed (compared to the first boxy straight wing), less vibrations, better payload etc. The wings on TD3 is the third iteration, better than the ones from TD2.

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 19 Feb 2015 10:16

The LUH looks good..and I like that dark green camo and the folding rotors appear to be aimed at meeting the IN's requirement for a light utility helo..

srai · Post by **srai** » 19 Feb 2015 16:54

indranilroy wrote:Yes, please!

Dhruv too!

Lots of potential orders for LUH:

197 Light Utility Helicopters - IAF & IA
56 Naval Light Utility Helicopters - IN
xx Naval Light Utility Helicopters - CG
xx Light Utility Helicopters - BSF/SFF/CPRF etc.

Zynda · Post by **Zynda** » 19 Feb 2015 18:42

I was under the impression that IN wanted automated blade folding mechanism, against the current manual ones on Dhruv and thus one of the reasons why it was not accepted in to service. Any word if that issue has been addressed in the latest design iteration?

Aditya G · Post by **Aditya G** » 19 Feb 2015 19:19

Any plans of Navalised Rudra and LCH?

Kartik wrote:The LUH looks good..and I like that dark green camo and the folding rotors appear to be aimed at meeting the IN's requirement for a light utility helo..

kmkraoind · Post by **kmkraoind** » 19 Feb 2015 23:20

indranilroy wrote:In other news about LCH. The LCH's new stub wings are optimized (for sweep, incidence and anhedral) to offload the main rotor.

This gives the LCH 25 kmph more top speed (compared to the first boxy straight wing), less vibrations, better payload etc. The wings on TD3 is the third iteration, better than the ones from TD2.

Anantha Krishnan M ‏@writetake

#PlaneCarnival #SkyParty | Pic: Rahul Devnath-10 @Oneindia

Picklu · Post by **Picklu** » 19 Feb 2015 23:38

Quality wise, LCH TD3 body fit and finish definitely Euro-esque.

Finally a made in india weapon looks like a plastic toy

compared to this, TD1 is definitely more 'soviet' in fit and finish.

JTull · Post by **JTull** » 20 Feb 2015 03:31

Would love to see those stub wings on Rudra.

Indranil · Post by **Indranil** » 20 Feb 2015 04:09

^^^ Why do you want it?

I can give you a few reasons for not doing it:
1. The currently optimized wings cannot be used on Rudra. The ground clearance does not allow the anhedral. The CG will not allow the sweep back.
2. Also a wing will obstruct the sliding of the door all the way back.
3. Somebody can say, hey why not use a swept-forward stub wing with a dihedral (sweep forward produces an anhedral effect). Alternately just a straight aerofoil fairing not extending to the body to just minimize drag. But helicopters are complex with the downwash of the rotor. They have to check for any adverse effects like vibration. And after all this the advantage may not be much. The current cylindrical arm is actually studied for strength and airflow. I think it was somebody's Ph.D. thesis from Mysore University a few years back. It was probably adjudged a "good enough" and cheap solution.

sooraj · Post by **sooraj** » 20 Feb 2015 06:30

HAL LUH cockpit

srai · Post by **srai** » 20 Feb 2015 11:21

Zynda wrote:I was under the impression that IN wanted automated blade folding mechanism, against the current manual ones on Dhruv and thus one of the reasons why it was not accepted in to service. Any word if that issue has been addressed in the latest design iteration?

Original ALH folding mechanism was like this image below. The dimensions were not within permissible limits.

Zynda · Post by **Zynda** » 20 Feb 2015 11:31

Srai sir,
Thanks for clearing up one of the issues. I found an old article by Ajai in which apparently Navy had asked HAL to install automatic blade folding mechanism just like the ones on Sea King. I am posting excerpt from the article.

Indian Navy's Dhruv Failing between Two

An on-board helo has to be accommodated into a very small hangar space, which means that the main rotors must have a system of hinges, which allow them to be quickly folded before putting the helo into the hangar (and then, equally quickly, unfolded when it is brought out for another flight). The navy’s initially stated requirement was for the rotors to be folded within a width of 3.5 metres.

Furthermore, the navy wants an automatic blade folding facility, of the kind that is installed in its Sea King helos. In this, onboard electrical or hydraulic actuators fold up the blades quickly, rather than having to go through the longer and more painstaking process of manually folding the blades. Remember, that in the smaller warships, the tips of the main rotor blades extend beyond the deck, overhanging the sea. So manually folding them --- by removing bolts and supporting the blades during folding/unfolding --- is an exercise that the navy would rather avoid.

HAL had a problem with foldable blades, as well as with installing an automatic system. A senior Dhruv designer told me, “the requirement of Blade Folding with a width of 3.5 metres was not feasible due to the inherent design characteristics of the ALH hingeless Main Rotor Blade with an Integrated Dynamic System”.

However, HAL worked on the problem and came up with the concept of “segmented blades”, which would be 5.1 metres wide instead of the navy’s requirement of 3.5 metres. HAL says the navy has agreed to the 5.1 metre width, and that the process of manually folding the “segmented blades” has been demonstrated to the navy.

However, HAL has not installed an automatic folding facility. HAL tells me, “Automatic blade folding was not pursued due to weight penalty of about 100 kgs”.

So the question still remains about addressing auto folding system without incurring a huge weight penalty. Can any of the BR visitors ask HAL folks when they hit AI?

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 20 Feb 2015 16:53

http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/airbus-t ... ers-741041
Airbus Talking to Tata, Reliance to Jointly Make Military Helicopters

Bengaluru: Airbus Helicopters said on Friday it is in talks with India's Mahindra and Mahindra, Reliance Industries and Tata Group to jointly make military helicopters, to comply with rules aimed at helping the nascent local defence industry.

The company, a unit of Airbus Group, is offering to build its light utility AS550 Fennec and the medium lift EC725 for India's armed forces, which are heavily dependent on an ageing fleet of Cheetah and Chetak helicopters.
.....
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Make in India" initiative, foreign contractors used to selling directly to New Delhi must form partnerships with local companies and transfer more of the work to help grow the nascent defence industry.

India last year scrapped the planned acquisition of 197 light utility helicopters so that it could launch a new competition reserved for domestic companies that form joint ventures with foreign suppliers.

In addition to Airbus, other firms including US-based Sikorsky Aircraft and Russian Helicopters are also expected to bid for the order.

brar_w · Post by **brar_w** » 21 Feb 2015 19:58

India May Sign Helo Deal by Boeing Deadline

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 24 Feb 2015 18:44

No point in delaying the decision and paying more later. The MOD should ink the deal for Apaches and Chinooks asap. We've paid a v.heavy price before for similar dithering and dilly-dallying for Scorpenes,Talwars,etc.,not to mention the impending decisions for Rafales,FGFAs,etc. The attack helos should really belong to the IA and in time must be transferred to them.All LCHs should be handed over to the IA. The IAF should not continue with its "dog-in-the-manger" attitude towards the IA on its genuine requirement for attack helos coming under its wing for a seamless synergy between ground and helo forces on the battlefield.

One improvement in the LCH has been the addition of armoured panels for the cockpit windows.The earlier lower "straight line" feature exposed the pilots to fire unnecessarily .The addition of triangular downward sloped armoured panels protecting the pilots while not impeding their downward vision is a welcome modification.

Any idea about the engine for the LUH? We've heard many similar tales from HAL about when first flights would start,series production begin,etc. I think that the dates are too optimistic and perhaps given to derail the highly publicised light helo requirement with Russia for the KA-226,to be built in India,when pres. Putin visited India last Dec. Looking at the helo,it does appear to be a relatively large bird for the "light" class. There are much smaller helos worldwide. The size though would suit our needs better,a junior version of the ALH,with more versatility payload wise,esp. if the helo can carry its max payload to current operational Himalyan heights,Siachen,etc.

There was a pic in the MI-26 brochure of the bird carrying not just a Chinook,as has been frequently seen,but a 100 seater sized jet! The IAF should keep its remaining MI-26s in service/replace them with new ones,as their unique capabilities are unmatched for carrying large heavy loads to high alts.Recently,an MI-26 landed at Kedarnath with heavy eqpt. MI-26s can carry the heavy earth moving eqpt. and machinery reqd. by the BRO for completing the Himalayan road infrastructure sorely needed on our side of the Tibetan border to counter China. The Chinooks would complement them in rapid movement of troops,etc. As was found in Afghanistan,both types are needed.

shaun · Post by **shaun** » 27 Feb 2015 08:59

The Hinds have L166V-11E Ispanka microwave IR jammer for protecting itself from IR guided missiles (located , 'flower pot' container above the forward end of tailboom). but it proved ineffective in chechnya . The disco lights with Apaches got upgraded and proved effective in iraq-agfa . Is there any similar project undergoing here .

similar to the image below ( an upgraded one from Ukraine )

Avinandan · Post by **Avinandan** » 27 Feb 2015 21:12

Do we have finalized specs for HAL LUH ?
And the LUH exterior is strikingly similar to Kazan Ansat helicopter.

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 01 Mar 2015 16:27

http://ibnlive.in.com/blogs/sauravjha/2 ... ntory.html
The growth of the Indian Army's helicopter inventory

The Army Aviation Corps (AAC) of the Indian Army (IA) is just shy of being three decades old. In that period, it has probably become the busiest corps in the IA having to serve in a variety of terrain supporting a whole gamut of operations.

AAC is particularly crucial to maintaining India's dominance in the Siachen Glacier and supporting small unit operations in mountainous terrain. Given that brief, the AAC is always looking to increase the number of helicopters with high altitude capability in its inventory whether it be for reconnaissance and surveillance(RS) roles utility roles, heli-borne insertion or attack.

These varied requirements have served as a peg for the evolution of indigenous helicopter capability in India that is both capable of high altitude operations as well as a mix of roles and will form the bulk of AAC's inventory in the future alongside domestically produced Russian designs given the discussions during Russian President Vladimir Putin's December 2014 visit to India.

AAC of course doesn't only focus on the mountains and given the IA's extensive plans to increase helicopter holdings for its overall strike and pivot corps, AAC's significantly growing inventory may also see the addition of heavy attack helicopters (AHs).

End October 2014 saw the issuance of a request for information (RFI) for RS helicopters for AAC for a third time in just over a decade. This new tender is being advanced under the 'buy and make' category and is in keeping with the Modi government's decision to have the long running RS helicopter procurement met through domestic companies with foreign collaboration under a 'make in India' scheme.

However this time, no specific numbers have been outlined in the tender which is indicative of the fact that AAC's requirements in this category go far beyond merely replacing the around 200 strong but ageing Chetak and Cheetah fleet.

Moreover given that Putin's visit saw India and Russia agreeing to move quickly on having the Russian Ka-226T built in India in a joint venture format with the aim of producing up to 400 helicopters a year, it is abundantly clear that a major part of this procurement will be in the form of domestically built Ka-226Ts.

To meet immediate operational requirements on account of the need to retire some Cheetahs and Chetaks as soon as possible, an initial batch of helicopters will come in flyaway condition from Kamov's facility in Russia.

The rest will however have to be built in India and the Russians are currently on the lookout for a domestic partner for the same and they may even tie up with HAL for this purpose. However given that HAL is also progressing its own light utility helicopter (LUH) design, it remains to be seen whether it will also end up as a JV partner for the Ka-226T. Interestingly though, in mid-October HAL issued its own RFI for selecting a JV partner for RS helicopters. It is also worth noting that the AAC tender has a 30 per cent localization content clause within 4 years of signature of contract.

Now the Ka-226T along with the Airbus Helicopter's AS 550 C3 Fennec had been downselected in the last tender having met the revised technical and operational parameters specified in it. So both the Ka-226T and AS 550 C3 in any case have qualified the IA's requirements for a RS helicopter that can be used for directing artillery fire, carry small body of troops/quick reaction teams for special missions, aerial photography, scouting roles in conjunction with AHs, airborne forward air controller (FAC) functions, casualty evacuation (CASEVAC), NBC monitoring, as a platform for ESM, ECM and ECCM etc and to provide dynamic response during aid to civil authorities. Interestingly Airbus Helicopter may still tie up with perhaps the Tata's hoping to bid with the AS 550 for this latest tender, despite the fact that the government to government dealings during Putin's visit effectively puts the Russians in the lead.

Now, the Ka-226T sports two Turbomeca Arrius 2G1 (2G1) engines which are more powerful than the Rolls-Royce 250C engines that power the baseline Ka-26 . Each 2G1 provides 670 shp, increasing the service ceiling to over 6500 metres, providing improved high altitude and high temperature operation. Given HAL's long association with Turbomeca and co-development of the Shakti engine family, the 2G1 will probably be easily localized in India with even follow-ons perhaps being developed in partnership with Turbomeca.

The Ka-226T also has new avionics with multifunctional displays (MFD), automatic control system, navigation system and radar. It can be equipped with a hoist system, a helicopter sling that can carry up to 1.5 tons, a searchlight and an additional external fuel tank. For search and rescue (SAR) missions, the Ka-226T can also be equipped with a medical module among the many interchangeable modules that fit into its rear. The helicopter's transmission system is made largely from composite material and in layout it has Kamov's characteristic coaxial rotors of composite design, making the Ka-226T rather manoeuvrable in mountainous areas. Top speed is around 200 km/hr and the Ka-226T can carry nine passengers or about 1.4 tons of cargo internally.

Meanwhile HAL has already started work on a 600 plus acre greenfield project in Gubbi in Karnataka to manufacture LUHs. This facility is said to have the capability to manufacture 50-60 3 ton LUHs annually and seems to be tailored to producing HAL's own LUH design which is expected to enter flight testing in mid- 2015 with certification sometime in 2016. The first LUH ground test vehicle(GTV) recently underwent engine ground runs. HAL is now expected to churn out three flying prototypes in quick succession. The speed with which HAL is actually able to do this will decide just how much of the 187 unit RS helicopter order 'allocated' to it earlier by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) will actually materialize. The LUH of course is quite contemporary with comparable specs to the Ka-226T although its layout is more conventional.

Even as the precise fate of the LUH design remains unclear, HAL's flagship indigenous rotary offering the Dhruv advanced light helicopter (ALH) however is going from strength to strength in AAC. The IA is now taking deliveries of both the Dhruv Mk III as well as the Rudra AH variant. The Dhruv MkIII is now even being used in highly specialized roles along the line of Control to intercept terrorists as is evidenced by the workings of the 202 Army Aviation Squadron also known as the Soaring Gideons. Units such as these employ the Dhruv's advanced avionics to stealthily and quickly reach landing zones employing day/night nap of the earth flying in the mountains. The Dhruv's advanced communication systems also facilitate real time data sharing with other nodes such as Command HQ and RSTA assets. Today almost 80 Dhruvs have been inducted into the IA with many more on contract.

Impressed with the Dhruv platform's avionics and versatility, AAC has begun inducting the first flights of the Rudra AH earlier known as the Weapon System Integrated Dhruv Mk IV. The IA wants the Rudra's airborne firepower in 'contact' battle scenarios thereby constituting a third another manoeuvre arm with lethal strike capability. Sixty Rudras are currently on order with the first flight being formed in Bangalore.

While employing the basic Dhruv layout, Rudra has a higher percentage of carbon-carbon composite materials to achieve weight reduction. It has commonality in avionics with the Dhruv Mk III, sporting a NVG-compatible cockpit with MFDs, dual flight controls and an autopilot. The avionics suite like the standard Dhruv also includes GPS, FLIR, HF/UHF communications radio, IFF, Doppler navigation and a radio altimeter. An EO (Electro-optic) pod helmet-mounted sight and fixed sights ensure accurate targeting with onboard weapons.

Rudra however has a slightly higher rated version of the Shakti turboshaft with each of its two Shakti engines delivering maximum continuous power of 1,067kW as opposed to 1,000 kW in the Dhruv Mk III. The Shakti engines give the helicopter a sustained max speed of 270 kmph and enable it to fly to over 20000 feet, thereby making it very useful for engaging targets in the mountains in a variety of scenarios. This the Rudra will do with either a Nexter THL-20 chin mounted gun turret housing a 20 mm M621 cannon, 70 mm rockets, air launched air to ground/ anti-tank missiles and will even air to air missiles for use against UAVs and perhaps other helicopters.

The Rudra's scope of employment is obviously not tailored merely to the mountains but also includes a very important anti-armour component in the plains. Indeed the first sixty helicopters are likely to be assigned to the IA's three Strike Corps for warfare in the plains, based respectively at Bhopal, Ambala and Mathura. The next flights will then head for the new Mountain Strike Corps based in Panagarh.

But AAC's appetite for a light AH capability potent in both the plains and mountains is not to be wetted merely by the Rudra. The IA's initial plans are to have at least 30 helicopters assigned to each of its 13 Corps, with one-third of the RS variety (Ka-226T/HAL LUH), one-third of the utility variety ( HAL Dhruv Mk III) and one-third of the AH variety. Now the ten AHs assigned to each Corps will not only be the Rudra but could instead be HAL's Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) for which the IA has indicated a requirement of at least 114 units. In fact AAC's growth in the years ahead can be gauged by the fact that the IA intends to have an AAC 'Brigade' with all its strike and pivot Corps in the medium term.

The LCH meanwhile has entered a decisive phase in its testing schedule and is expected to attain Initial Operational Clearance(IOC) by September 2015. The 5.8 tonne LCH is a 'true' 7000 metre altitude capable AH and can provide air defence amidst mountains, air escort, close air support in urban warfare scenarios and anti-armour capability. While the MBDA Pars 3 LR was said to have been shortlisted to initially equip the Rudra and perhaps the LCH, there has been considerable progress in DRDO's Helina air launched anti-tank missile project and with a new Imaging Infrared Seeker (IIR), the Helina is now able to engage targets out to 10 km. 2015 may see the Helina heading into production.

As AAC eagerly waits for the LCH to enter production, the IA has also put up a request for some 39 Apache AH-64E's to the MoD. While it was decided in 2012 that all future AH acquisitions will go to the IA, the Indian Air Force (IAF) managed to convince the Government that it should be allowed to retain the initial batch of 22 AH-64s that it has sought to buy from Boeing since that procurement move pre-dated the 2012 MoD decision. The IA therefore has put up its own case for additional AH-64E's apparently impressed by the helicopter's network centric capability, payload and reputation. However it remains to be seen whether even the IAF will have its Apache proposal cleared anytime soon.

AAC's rivalry with the IAF's transport wing will also increase in the years ahead however, since the IA intends to have a flight of at least five fixed wing aircraft assigned to each of its regional commands. Moreover both the IA and the IAF are likely to receive variants of the Rustom-2 UAV in the future as well. It is clear that the IAF's fond hope that 'small air forces' will not grow under other services is clearly dashed with the Indian Navy having broken away from that cocoon year's ago and now even the IA is following suit for good measure.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 02 Mar 2015 15:14

http://www.livefistdefence.com/2015/03/ ... rough.html

Manish_P · Post by **Manish_P** » 02 Mar 2015 16:16

Wow. Nice Pic

That camo will make it very very difficult to see the bird against the background of the mountains

This sleek predator will strike terror in those unforgiving ranges... one day soon

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 02 Mar 2015 19:14

LCH completes cold trials

The Light Combat Helicopter that is under development has completed the mandatory cold weather trials at Air Force Station, Leh. Its performance has been satisfactory, its developer Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd said on Monday.

The second technology demonstrator prototype LCH TD2 was taken from Bangalore to Leh and tested for its performance in extreme cold weather as part of its overall assessment.

HAL Chairman T.Suvarna Raju said the engine starts were satisfactory at temperature of minus 18 degrees Celsius at 4.1 km. Flights were also carried out to assess the helicopter's high altitude performance and low speed handling. The trials covered engine starts with internal batteries after overnight cold soak at altitudes of 3 km and 4.1 km.
...
...
Mr. Raju said, "The Light Combat Helicopter Technology Demonstrator TD-3 made its maiden flight in November last year and the TD-4 is likely to fly soon. The IOC [initial operational clearance] is expected in the later part of this year. To achieve this we are concentrating on building more prototypes and increasing the number of flights to reduce the lead time.”
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