Prachand LCH: News & Discussion: 03 October 2022

Rakesh · Post by **Rakesh** » 03 Oct 2022 20:27

Prachand - Light Combat Helicopter (LCH)

Last Page of Previous Thread ----> viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7815&start=520

Thanks to BRF Members --> Group Captain S Hari Krishnan Nair (retd), Manish_Sharma and Sankum for their contributions.

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Milestones Achieved
• March 28, 2025: MoD signed 2 contracts with HAL for 156 Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) plus associated equipment at a cost of over ₹62,700 crore excluding taxes - 90 for Army and 66 for IAF.
• October 03, 2022: First squadron of LCH inducted into the IAF at Jodhpur AFS by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The LCH was formally given the name Prachand (Fierce) on this occassion.
• June 01, 2022: First squadron of LCH inducted into the Indian Army's Aviation Corps at Bangalore.
• November 2021: Prime Minister Narendra Modi hands over first LSP to the IAF Chief, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari
• February 2020: LCH declared ready for production
• January 2019: Firing of Air-to-Air Missile
• January 2018: Indigenously designed AFCS (Automatic Flight Controls System) tested
• August 2017: Full scale production inaugurated
• July 2016: Performance trials over, Certification by CEMILAC (Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification)
• June 2016: Armament trials and mission sensor integration
• March 2016: Completion of basic performance testing
• December 01, 2015: TD-4 Maiden flight
• June 2015: Hot weather trials @ Jodhpur
• January-February 2015: Cold weather trials @ Leh
• November 12, 2014: TD-3 Maiden flight
• July 2012: Advanced trials at sea level/systems integration
• June 28, 2011: Second prototype TD-2 unveiled
• February 2011: Second prototype TD-2 unveiled
• May 2010: Successful third flight
• March 29, 2010: Maiden flight of TD-1 @ 20 minutes
• February 2010: First powered ground run.

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Summary
• Narrow fuselage with tandem seating
• Tricycle fixed tail wheel type landing gear
• Crashworthy bottom structure and landing gear
• Canted panels for low radar cross section
• Armour protection against 7.62mm and 12.7mm bullets
• IR (Infra Red) Suppressors for low infrared signature
• Night attack capability

Roles
• Anti-tank role and scout duties
• Air defence role against UAVs and slow moving aerial targets
• Destruction of enemy air defence (DEAD) operations
• Escort to special heli-borne operation (SHBO)
• Offensive employment in urban warfare, counter surface force operations (CSFO) and counter insurgency operations (COIN).
• Support of combat search & rescue (SAR) operations.

Mission Systems
• Target Acquisition & Designation System (TADS)
• Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS)
• Electronic Warfare (EW) suite and Counter Measure Dispensing System (CMDS)
• Direction Infrared Counter Measure (DIRCM) / Laser Transmitter (LT)
• Data Link and Digital Video Recording System (DVRS)

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Design Specifications
• Crew: Two in Tandem Seating Configuration
• Length: 15.8 meters
• Wingspan: 4.6 meters
• Height: 4.7 meters
• Main Rotor Diameter: 13.2 meters
• Maximum Take Off Weight: 5,800 kg
• Maximum Payload Capacity: 1,500 kg
• Normal Payload Capacity: 700 kg
• Engine: 2 × HAL/Turbomeca Shakti-1H1 turboshaft each producing 1,032 kW (1,384 shp)

Performance Specifications
• Maximum Speed: 270 km/h
• Never Exceed Speed: 330 km/h
• Range: 550 km with 20 minute reserve
• Endurance: 3 hours, 10 minutes
• Service Ceiling: 6,500 meters
• Rate of Climb: 12 meters per second
• Maximum Oblique Rate of Climb: 700 meters per minute

Armament
• Guns: 20mm M621 cannon on Nexter THL-20 turret
• Hardpoints: Four with provisions to carry combinations of:
... ... ... ... ... ... ... Rockets ---> 70mm FZ or Thales rocket pods
... ... ... ... ... ... ... Missiles ---> Two-round Mistral-2 air-to-air missiles or four-round Helina (planned)
... ... ... ... ... ... ... Bombs ---> Cluster / Iron bombs

Avionics
• Elbit CoMPASS opto-electronic suite
• Missile approach warning system
• Saab radar and laser warning system
• Chaff and flare dispensers

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Acronyms
• TD: Technology Demonstrator

Construction Number ... Serial Number ... Aircraft First Flight ... Pilot(s)
• TD-1 ... ZP 4601 ... 29-Mar-2010 ... Wing Commander Unni Krishna Pillai (retd) and Group Captain S Hari Krishnan Nair (retd)
• TD-2 ... ZP 4602 ... 28-Jun-2011 ... Wing Commander Unni Krishna Pillai (retd) and Group Captain S Hari Krishnan Nair (retd)
• TD-3 ... ZP 4603 ... 12-Nov-2014 ... Wing Commander Unni Krishna Pillai (retd) and Group Captain S Hari Krishnan Nair (retd)
• TD-4 ... ZP 4604 ... 01-Dec-2015 ... Wing Commander Unni Krishna Pillai (retd) and Wing Commander Subhash Palakuzhiyil John (retd)

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Total Projected Requirement - 160
• Indian Air Force: 65 airframes
• Indian Army Aviation Corps: 95 airframes, of which seven units - with each having 10 helicopters - are planned to be deployed for combat role in the mountains.

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Acronyms:
• LSP: Limited Series Production
• AAC: Army Aviation Corps
• IAF: Indian Air Force
• HU: Helicopter Unit

Units Raised - AAC
• ? HU, Squadron Raised on 01 June 2022 at Bangalore. Five LSPs to be inducted in total.
Raising CO < Rank > < Name >
Present CO < Rank > < Name >

Units Raised - IAF
• 143 HU 'Dhanush' - Squadron Raised on 03 Oct 2022 at Jodhpur AFS. Ten LSPs to be inducted in total.
Raising CO - Group Captain Deepak Vishnoi
Present CO < Rank > < Name >

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Articles: Prachand LCH

We were a Show of Force to the Enemy
https://www.rediff.com/news/special/lig ... 220929.htm
By Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (Retd), 03 October 2022

LCH Outperformed Other Aircraft In Ladakh
https://www.rediff.com/news/special/lig ... 221003.htm
By Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (Retd), 03 October 2022

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Videos: Prachand LCH

Tarmak Talking with Team LCH: All set for the big game

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Photographs: Prachand LCH

https://twitter.com/FighterPiloting/sta ... pxiyMr05Vg ---> HAL Light Combat Helicopter.

https://twitter.com/FighterPiloting/sta ... pxiyMr05Vg --->

https://twitter.com/Amitraaz/status/129 ... 41728?s=20 ---> Here are the few sensors from the EW suite of HAL's LCH.

PS: Not sure about the placement of CFDs.

Rakesh · Post by **Rakesh** » 03 Oct 2022 20:29

Started new thread due to the new info added in the first post and (also) name change.

Link to previous thread added right at the top of the above post. Also added info about units raised and milestones achieved. As always, please point out any errors or additional info that you would like to add in the first post. Thank You.

Rakesh · Post by **Rakesh** » 03 Oct 2022 20:31

Prachand, India’s new Light Combat Helicopter, doesn’t yet have main arsenal or protection suite
https://theprint.in/defence/prachand-in ... e/1152885/
03 October 2022

IAF inducted new helicopter Monday, but it'll get anti-tank guided missile only by mid-2023, while air-to-air missiles haven't yet been ordered, it is learnt.

Rakesh · Post by **Rakesh** » 03 Oct 2022 20:34

YashG wrote:Where are the LCH orders. If IAF and IA were museums, we could add 5-10 pieces and call for a party.

Please do not shoot the messenger, but here you go. If forum members can dissect the below (to understand the logic) it would help.

https://twitter.com/KesariDhwaj/status/ ... rger-FwmJQ --->

- BTW, when people crib about order quantity for systems like LCH (Light Combat Helicopter), please understand that production rate has to match the absorption rate with a Service.
- It takes time to create infra and more critically, trained manpower to operate & maintain a new system.
- Larger the existing expansion phase.
- Cheetah, Chetak, Dhruvs, Rudra and now LCH.
- There is only that much manpower available to milk and divert for new inductions and raising(s).
- I expect pilots from the Indian Army's Rudra squadrons to form the nucleus of LCH induction.
- But manpower is limited and lead-time to create more pilots and technical staff is relatively long.
- Do keep this aspect in mind when discussing or commenting about induction rate of a weapon system.

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 03 Oct 2022 22:31

How many pilots can be trained per batch?

That is the more important question.

As both manned and unmanned flying machines will need pilots.

JTull · Post by **JTull** » 03 Oct 2022 23:04

Thanks to Rediff for these great articles by Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd). Posting in Full.

PART 1: 'We were a show of force to the enemy'

<MOD NOTE: Post Edited >

JTull · Post by **JTull** » 03 Oct 2022 23:37

Part 2: 'LCH outperformed other aircraft in Ladakh'

<MOD NOTE: Post Edited >

Rakesh · Post by **Rakesh** » 03 Oct 2022 23:59

JTull wrote:Thanks to Rediff for these great articles by Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd). Posting in Full.

Saar, I posted the links to both the articles from the good Air Commodore in the first post of this thread. If we just cut-and-paste the entire article, we will run into copyright violations. I have to edit your post.

Rony · Post by **Rony** » 04 Oct 2022 02:49

Its Prachanda not Prachand

https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status ... Qo8zdhAVoA

https://www.aninews.in/news/national/ge ... 003213350/

Rakesh · Post by **Rakesh** » 04 Oct 2022 03:11

Rony wrote:Its Prachanda not Prachand

Raksha Mantri tweeted it as प्रचंड (Prachand). See this link ---> https://twitter.com/rajnathsingh/status ... _NEJzGAOow

Raksha Mantri calls it प्रचंड at 0:55 in the video ---> https://twitter.com/rajnathsingh/status ... _NEJzGAOow

Whoever is overseeing the twitter account of NaMo, added an 'A' after the name.

Rakesh · Post by **Rakesh** » 04 Oct 2022 03:48

https://twitter.com/Varun55484761/statu ... 3OVSZTafTg ---> Technological Features of Prachand LCH.

Rakesh · Post by **Rakesh** » 04 Oct 2022 03:49

https://twitter.com/IAF_MCC/status/1576 ... 3OVSZTafTg ---> The Raksha Mantri handed over the first LCH Prachand to the IAF today at AF Stn, Jodhpur. He also undertook a sortie on the Prachand, which is translated as 'Fierce'. The aircraft's name is a testimony to its lethality & versatility.

Rakesh · Post by **Rakesh** » 04 Oct 2022 03:51

https://twitter.com/severerocket/status ... 3OVSZTafTg ---> Here it is!!! "प्रचंड" Light Combat Helicopter of the Indian Air Force inducted today - 3rd October at AFS Jodhpur by the Defence Minister of India.

Rakesh · Post by **Rakesh** » 04 Oct 2022 03:52

https://twitter.com/VishnuNDTV/status/1 ... 3OVSZTafTg ---> Prachand, India's Light Combat Helicopter.

sivab · Post by **sivab** » 04 Oct 2022 04:12

Rakesh wrote:
Rony wrote:Its Prachanda not Prachand
Raksha Mantri tweeted it as प्रचंड (Prachand). See this link ---> https://twitter.com/rajnathsingh/status ... _NEJzGAOow

Raksha Mantri calls it प्रचंड at 0:55 in the video ---> https://twitter.com/rajnathsingh/status ... _NEJzGAOow

Whoever is overseeing the twitter account of NaMo, added an 'A' after the name.

Prachanda is the original pronunciation in Samskritam. Hindi has a habit of losing vowels in the end, so Prachand. Like how Kerala is pronounced as Keral in hindi or Karnataka as Karnatak or Tamizhnadu as Tamilnad. They both mean the same, fierce/fiery. Note the name in Devanagari script in one of the picture above and in your message is written the same. It has a vowel in the end in Devanagari, Hindi pronunciation just loses it. Can't say only Prachand is correct.

Rakesh · Post by **Rakesh** » 04 Oct 2022 06:38

I stand corrected sivab. I did not know this. Thank you.

But if the Hindi script uses Prachand and that pronunciation and spelling is what is used by the armed forces, then that is what we have to go with.

ks_sachin · Post by **ks_sachin** » 04 Oct 2022 11:58

sivab wrote:
Prachanda is the original pronunciation in Samskritam. Hindi has a habit of losing vowels in the end, so Prachand. Like how Kerala is pronounced as Keral in hindi or Karnataka as Karnatak or Tamizhnadu as Tamilnad. They both mean the same, fierce/fiery. Note the name in Devanagari script in one of the picture above and in your message is written the same. It has a vowel in the end in Devanagari, Hindi pronunciation just loses it. Can't say only Prachand is correct.

My MIL says Kannadi for people from Karnataka!!!!!

She is from Karwar but was born and brought up in MHA so I started calling her and her daughter Karwaris and therefore Kannadigas and that has resulted in a course correction!!

KSingh · Post by **KSingh** » 04 Oct 2022 14:12

Rakesh wrote:
YashG wrote:Where are the LCH orders. If IAF and IA were museums, we could add 5-10 pieces and call for a party.
Please do not shoot the messenger, but here you go. If forum members can dissect the below (to understand the logic) it would help.

https://twitter.com/KesariDhwaj/status/ ... rger-FwmJQ --->

- BTW, when people crib about order quantity for systems like LCH (Light Combat Helicopter), please understand that production rate has to match the absorption rate with a Service.
- It takes time to create infra and more critically, trained manpower to operate & maintain a new system.
- Larger the existing expansion phase.
- Cheetah, Chetak, Dhruvs, Rudra and now LCH.
- There is only that much manpower available to milk and divert for new inductions and raising(s).
- I expect pilots from the Indian Army's Rudra squadrons to form the nucleus of LCH induction.
- But manpower is limited and lead-time to create more pilots and technical staff is relatively long.
- Do keep this aspect in mind when discussing or commenting about induction rate of a weapon system.

Rakesh, how come most other countries are able to induct enmasse then? The Indian military by manpower is the second or third largest on the planet? Yea I know its training capacity is always under strain but if Poland can propose indicting 90+ Apaches in one go india limiting initial LCH orders to 10+5 does not deserve justification

When was the last time india about any large system in triple digits, forget about in the 10000s? Everything is always 16/32/48. Let’s not forget that China has money and manpower on its side

arshyam · Post by **arshyam** » 04 Oct 2022 15:52

Can't the order be placed with a relaxed delivery timeline commensurate to Army/Air Force absorption rates? Say, 114 LCHs, to be delivered @15 per year, over 8 years? At least that gives HAL and the rest of the supply chain some surety of future orders, even if at a slower pace. So I don't understand this rationale of not ordering in advance.

KSingh · Post by **KSingh** » 04 Oct 2022 16:48

arshyam wrote:Can't the order be placed with a relaxed delivery timeline commensurate to Army/Air Force absorption rates? Say, 114 LCHs, to be delivered @15 per year, over 8 years? At least that gives HAL and the rest of the supply chain some surety of future orders, even if at a slower pace. So I don't understand this rationale of not ordering in advance.

Precisely this. Already they are moving away from the projected numbers they gave a few years back (yesterday numbers floated were ~90 LCH for IA instead of the 114 spoken about previously).

This seems to have less to do with absorption rates and the typical step motherly approach dished out to IDDM products. Remember it wasn’t until 2022 that they actually gave HAL a contract for LCH, 5 years after HAL had self-funded production activities.

Same story with LCA MK.2 (2018 they spoke about 201 units, now IAF will only speak about 126 units/6 squadrons)

vimal · Post by **vimal** » 04 Oct 2022 18:54

Can it shoot laser and travel at Mach 2? More trials needed!

Rakesh · Post by **Rakesh** » 04 Oct 2022 19:22

IAF gets indigenous Light Combat Helicopter ‘Prachand’ after 23-yr journey that began after Kargil
https://theprint.in/defence/iaf-inducts ... l/1149811/
03 Oct 2022

Manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, it is the first attack helicopter that can operate in Siachen. Of the 15 sanctioned, 10 will go to Indian Air Force, 5 to Indian Army.

sajaym · Post by **sajaym** » 05 Oct 2022 09:37

https://theprint.in/defence/prachand-in ... e/1152885/

This is where perceptions need to change. As more and more local systems are inducted, the MOD and the manufacturers need to put out articles mentioning how the initial batches will be slightly inferior but will be adding on capabilities in subsequent batches. This is something which is very natural in systems worldwide but which we never noticed since we used to import the fully developed machine. In China, the writer of this article would be sent to a 're-education camp', but here the re-education needs to be done through constant stream of counter articles, videos and presentations. Also...even with the LCH in its current form... which Pakistani tank driver would like to argue with a 20mm cannon round or a 70mm rocket, coming at his face??

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 05 Oct 2022 10:07

Congratulations to Prachand team.
Especially Group Captain Hari Nair.

Thanks for bringing this across the finish line.

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 05 Oct 2022 10:21

The print article shows that people who follow defence in India have no concept of capacity enhancement of an in service platform.

Or else the criticism would not be in terms that they have stated.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 05 Oct 2022 10:54

Just a BS whine article. Ignore and enjoy the moment.

Manish_P · Post by **Manish_P** » 05 Oct 2022 12:09

ramana wrote:Congratulations to Prachand team.
Especially Group Captain Hari Nair.

Thanks for bringing this across the finish line.

+1

Nabhah Sprusham Diptam - Touch the skies with glory

(and bring hell to the evil on the ground)

Waiting in anticipation to see FLIR videos of 20mm hits on the pigs on/across the LOC

Also waiting for the HCH (heavy combat heli) with manned and unmanned versions. Thanks to the lessons learned on the Dhruv and Prachand and experience gained therewith, hopefully they will come about much faster...

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 05 Oct 2022 13:11

A machine using the mechanical components of the IMRH.

That will be a Mi28 class machine. But much better than the Mi28 as it's going to be Indian. With the ability to do what we want with it.

Or alternatively build an attack chopper with the mechanical components of the proposed Naval 2 engined machine.

We are going to have so many options going forward.

Cyrano · Post by **Cyrano** » 05 Oct 2022 14:17

ramana wrote:Just a BS whine article. Ignore and enjoy the moment.

Congratulations and wishing more such milestones!!

Bala Vignesh · Post by **Bala Vignesh** » 05 Oct 2022 14:58

Talking about the WS of Dhanush, i prefer the old name over the weak sounding Prachand(a), why is there no chatter about integrating APKWS or other such systems on the existing rockets?

bharathp · Post by **bharathp** » 05 Oct 2022 20:38

not sure why we have to pick on the naming. I am happy its an Indic name. this is the meaning:

अति उग्र, अति तीव्र।

अत्यधिक गर्म।

not sure how this can be weak.

I am sure the exploits of the system will give added heft to the name "prachand"

Thakur_B · Post by **Thakur_B** » 05 Oct 2022 20:45

Ahem...

Alexa,.... Play "आरंभ है प्रचंड..."

As the lyrics of the song say the beginning is prachand (fierce), or should we rephrase it to Prachand is the beginning

Manish_P · Post by **Manish_P** » 07 Oct 2022 10:21

Monster emerging from the mist

(image from twitter, as shared by HVT - @hvtiaf)

I like such photos, hiding more than they show..

Rakesh · Post by **Rakesh** » 10 Oct 2022 22:50

https://twitter.com/RAFIndia_/status/15 ... 7ci40xgE-w ---> Indian Army to operationally deploy it's first squadron of "Prachand" Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) at Missamari Army Aviation base in early November 2022. Situated in Assam, the base is just 150 km away from Line of Actual Control (LAC) and was raised in October 2021.

Atmavik · Post by **Atmavik** » 11 Oct 2022 00:39

^^^ looking at the pic looks like this machine is designed to rule the valleys of Arunachal

D.Mahesh · Post by **D.Mahesh** » 11 Oct 2022 04:55

Rakesh wrote:Prachand - Light Combat Helicopter (LCH)

Construction Number ... Serial Number ... Aircraft First Flight ... Pilot(s)
• TD-1 ... ZP 4601 ... 29-Mar-2010 ... Wing Commander Unni Krishna Pillai (retd) and Group Captain S Hari Krishnan Nair (retd)
• TD-2 ... ZP 4602 ... 28-Jun-2011 ... Wing Commander Unni Krishna Pillai (retd) and Group Captain S Hari Krishnan Nair (retd)
• TD-3 ... ZP 4603 ... 12-Nov-2014 ... Wing Commander Unni Krishna Pillai (retd) and Group Captain S Hari Krishnan Nair (retd)
• TD-4 ... ZP 4604 ... 01-Dec-2015 ... Wing Commander Unni Krishna Pillai (retd) and Wing Commander Subhash Palakuzhiyil John (retd)

With a team like this the Prachand Project must have happened Edo Ivvida Vaado! from Day 1

D.Mahesh · Post by **D.Mahesh** » 11 Oct 2022 04:56

Atmavik wrote:^^^ looking at the pic looks like this machine is designed to rule the valleys of Arunachal

So AAC is also going to call this Prachand?

ks_sachin · Post by **ks_sachin** » 11 Oct 2022 08:12

D.Mahesh wrote:
Atmavik wrote:^^^ looking at the pic looks like this machine is designed to rule the valleys of Arunachal
So AAC is also going to call this Prachand?

In squadron service they are probably referred to by their serial number.

All the common names etc are perhaps for the non-professional folks.

Bala Vignesh · Post by **Bala Vignesh** » 14 Oct 2022 16:21

D.Mahesh wrote:
Rakesh wrote:Prachand - Light Combat Helicopter (LCH)

Construction Number ... Serial Number ... Aircraft First Flight ... Pilot(s)
• TD-1 ... ZP 4601 ... 29-Mar-2010 ... Wing Commander Unni Krishna Pillai (retd) and Group Captain S Hari Krishnan Nair (retd)
• TD-2 ... ZP 4602 ... 28-Jun-2011 ... Wing Commander Unni Krishna Pillai (retd) and Group Captain S Hari Krishnan Nair (retd)
• TD-3 ... ZP 4603 ... 12-Nov-2014 ... Wing Commander Unni Krishna Pillai (retd) and Group Captain S Hari Krishnan Nair (retd)
• TD-4 ... ZP 4604 ... 01-Dec-2015 ... Wing Commander Unni Krishna Pillai (retd) and Wing Commander Subhash Palakuzhiyil John (retd)
With a team like this the Prachand Project must have happened Edo Ivvida Vaado! from Day 1

Having seen them from close proximity in official environment, they are through professionals, speaking english and hindu eloquently. They might be doing that in their crew rooms,if at all.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 14 Oct 2022 16:34

What is this language Hindu?