Indian Army Aviation

[Rakesh]

IR speaking the truth.

https://x.com/Indrani1_Roy/status/17172 ... 79806?s=20 --->

1. $800 million for 6
2. $5,400 million for 156

Emergency purchase for one.

The second was deployed in conflict, while waiting for orders. Guess which one is indigenous.

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/AdithyaKM_/status/1719286 ... 79624?s=20 ---> Thar Raptors of the Army's Southern Command successfully validated "Mobile Forward area refueling & rearming point" along a highway. FARP operations would be critical in a war, especially for operational turnaround of attack helicopters like LCH Prachand & Rudra, significant development IMO.

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/hvtiaf/status/1719518959215476799?s=20 ---> Dhruv and Rudra. In the front is IA-1101, the first ALH Dhruv produced and inducted into the Indian Army on 31 December 2001.

[Rakesh]

VIDEO: https://x.com/Defencematrix1/status/171 ... 99900?s=20 ---> 38th raising day of the Army Aviation Corps. Video Credit: DPR MoD.

VIDEO: https://x.com/adgpi/status/1719519733316288981?s=20 ---> General Manoj Pande, COAS and All Ranks of Indian Army convey best wishes to All Ranks, Veterans and Families of Army Aviation Corps on the occasion of 38th Corps Day.

[bala]

38th Army Aviation Corps Day: Increasing fire power of Army Aviation with Dhruv Rudra & Prachand.
Video courtesy of Indian Defense Analysis.

[Rakesh]

VIDEO: https://x.com/Spearcorps/status/1721081 ... 12722?s=20 ---> Spearcorps Warriors of the Indian Army, fired the New Generation Rocket and Turret ammunition from Rudra - the first Indigenous Attack Helicopter. The efficacy of the platform augments the strike capability & lethality in mountains. The Corps Commander complimented the Aviators on their professionalism and operational preparedness.

[Rakesh]

UP and Haryana to get MQ-9B Sky Guardian Bases in India
https://www.defencenews.in/2023/11/up-a ... -in-india/
05 Nov 2023

[Rakesh]

Indian Army Prepares for Induction of Apache Attack Helicopters
https://www.defencenews.in/2023/11/indi ... licopters/
05 Nov 2023

[Rakesh]

Army boosting aviation corps with new choppers, armed drones & missiles
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ind ... 048862.cms
08 Nov 2023

[ashthor]

Indian Army To Order 500 HELINA 'Tank-Buster' Missiles
https://swarajyamag.com/defence/indian- ... r-missiles
08 Nov 2023

The Indian Army is planning to acquire more than 500 helicopter-launched Nag (HELINA) anti-tank missiles for Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)-manufactured Rudra and LCH Prachand attack helicopters, reported Times of India.

According to the report, the army is in the process of integrating HELINA missiles on the weaponised variant of the advanced light helicopter (ALH) Rudra.

Once the integration is complete, production will commence. The integration of this eight-kilometre range missile is expected to begin next year.

Earlier, in August, HELINA and its air force variant, Dhruvastra, successfully completed all the trials.

Both missiles are guided by an advanced imaging infra-red seeker, operating in both the 'lock-on before launch' and 'lock-on-after-launch' modes, making them some of the world's most advanced anti-tank weapons.

They are capable of defeating armoured targets, including tanks, at ranges of 7-8 kilometres.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation, in 2022, conducted successful flight tests at Pokhran weapon testing range, as part of user validation trials.

Both the missiles were also tested from a high altitude range in eastern Ladakh, where the missile successfully demonstrated its capability to destroy simulated tank targets.

The HELINA and Dhruvastra missiles are helicopter-launched variants of Nag missile, which is a fire-and-forget, third-generation ATGM, with an operational range of up to 4 km, equipped with a tandem high-explosive anti-tank warhead.

[JTull]

How is it possible that HELINA has completed all trials but still start integration only next year?

What did it mean by Dhruvastra being air force version of HELINA?

What kind of moronic reporting is this?

[Rakesh]

Army to start phasing out Cheetah, Chetak choppers in 3-4 years
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-ne ... 90062.html
07 Nov 2023

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/TheLegateIN/status/174965 ... 27884?s=20 ---> Indian Army now raising more Combat Aviation Brigades on lines of US Army:

Each such brigade will have:

- Two LUH/Cheetah/ALH squadrons
- One gunship squadron (ALH-WSI/LCH)
- One UAV squadron.

Plus maintenance and support flights.

[ashishvikas]

Cabinet Committee on Security today cleared proposals to buy 34 new ALH Dhruv helicopters for the Indian Army and Indian Coast Guard. The Indian Army will get 25 of these choppers while the Indian Coast Guard will get nine of them. These choppers would be built indigenously by public sector firm Hindustan Aeronautics Limited: Defence officials

https://twitter.com/ANI/status/17657470 ... pUtgg&s=19

[Rakesh]

Great news!

As always, thank you Ashish Saar.

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/ANI/status/1768562408128123119?s=20 ---> Indian Army today raised its first Apache attack helicopter squadron in Jodhpur in the presence of senior officials including Army Aviation Corps Director General Lt Gen Ajay Suri and officials from the equipment manufacturer. The first choppers of the squadron are scheduled to arrive in May this year from the US: Indian Army officials to ANI.

[Rakesh]

Cabinet Committee on Security today cleared proposals to buy 34 new ALH Dhruv helicopters for the Indian Army and Indian Coast Guard. The Indian Army will get 25 of these choppers while the Indian Coast Guard will get nine of them. These choppers would be built indigenously by public sector firm Hindustan Aeronautics Limited: Defence officials

https://twitter.com/ANI/status/17657470 ... pUtgg&s=19

MoD Inks Massive Rs 8073 Cr Deal with HAL for 34 Advanced Dhruv Mk III Helicopters
https://bharatshakti.in/mod-inks-massiv ... licopters/
15 March 2024

[Rakesh]

HAL delivers Dhruv helicopters to Army within 2 weeks of contract signing
https://iadnews.in/hal-delivers-dhruv-h ... t-signing/
24 May 2024

[SRajesh]

Alpha Defence youtuber claiming delays in Apache delivery!!
We have ordered 6 and were to be delivered from this year
Is this a deliberate move by US.
Wonder if things will get worse beforer getting better!
November and maybe Trump?? to atleast to pull back the Deep State fury being unleashed against everyone defying the order!!

[Rakesh]

From the inexhaustible MIC

If the Russians or the French had done the same to India, the knives would be out on BRF. But when it is Amreeki, all is forgiven

Indian Army awaiting batch delivery of Apache attack helicopters from US
https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/india/sto ... 2024-08-13
13 August 2024

[A Sharma]

Indian Army's wait for AH-64E Apache attack aircraft from US gets longer amid crashes

[srai]

^^^
That whole 6 x AH-64 for IA was just poor acquisition vision. Pure wastage.

There are already 90+ x IDDM LCH Prachand in the works with 5 x LSPs in service.

[Rakesh]

From the inexhaustible American MIC

Whose bright idea was this, to buy these uber expensive (and now delayed) platforms?

https://x.com/livefist/status/1834091060131217447 ---> Indian Army’s first Apache delivery delayed by a year owing to supply chain hurdles, reports @rahulsinghx. This is the second big U.S. supply deal that’s seeing delivery delays after the GE F404 engines for the Tejas MK1A.

https://x.com/rahulsinghx/status/1834058615667523785 ---> Six months after the army raised its first Apache sqadron to muscle up along the western border with Pakistan, not a single attack helicopter has been inducted as the manufacturer Boeing grapples with lingering supply chain hurdles that have slowed production.

[Rakesh]

From the inexhaustible American MIC

Whose bright idea was this, to buy these uber expensive (and now delayed) platforms?

https://x.com/livefist/status/1834091060131217447 ---> Indian Army’s first Apache delivery delayed by a year owing to supply chain hurdles, reports @rahulsinghx. This is the second big U.S. supply deal that’s seeing delivery delays after the GE F404 engines for the Tejas MK1A.

https://x.com/rahulsinghx/status/1834058615667523785 ---> Six months after the army raised its first Apache sqadron to muscle up along the western border with Pakistan, not a single attack helicopter has been inducted as the manufacturer Boeing grapples with lingering supply chain hurdles that have slowed production.

https://x.com/jai_menon/status/1834113781066056167 ---> Lucky we are not at war right now then. Fast tracking of our own attack choppers, and across the board indigenisation of all major weapons systems is demonstrably an absolute necessity.

https://x.com/cookiec75190643/status/18 ... 5061111822 ---> LCH and Helina orders would make sense, no? But alas, Helina is awaiting her Mahalaya Amavasya trials, followed by Chaturmasya exercise.

[Rakesh]

By the way, it has been more than 2+ years since the Prachand was inducted into the Army Aviation Corps.

• June 01, 2022: First squadron of LCH inducted into the Indian Army's Aviation Corps at Bangalore.

And in June of this year, the Ministry of Defence issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for 156 Prachand attack helicopters, of which Indian Army will procure 90 airframes and Indian Air Force will get 66 airframes. But no signed contract as of yet. See below....

HAL receives RFP from Defence Ministry for procurement of 156 Light Combat Helicopters worth Rs 45,000 crore
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ne ... 060293.cms
17 June 2024

• Indian MIC: No 351 Army Aviation Squadron raised with actual Prachand airframes
• American MIC: No 451 Army Aviation Squadron raised with zero Apache airframes

Well done Amreeka! Indian MIC - 1, American MIC - 0!

Oh my dear MUTUs, where art thou?

[chetak]

From the inexhaustible MIC

If the Russians or the French had done the same to India, the knives would be out on BRF. But when it is Amreeki, all is forgiven

Indian Army awaiting batch delivery of Apache attack helicopters from US
https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/india/sto ... 2024-08-13
13 August 2024

Rakesh saar,


there was never any great happiness with weapon systems coming in from the unkil's factories


such systems have caused India untold miseries in the past and yet we continue to accept such weapons, knowing what will happen


the unkils have a political price for weapons which pakis and others of that ilk pay and then there is a politico economic price which people like us pay

at the end of the day, the amrikis expect the same from everybody, unquestioned obedience to their dictates, and unconditional support for their objectives, no matter what geopolitical price the other country(ies) has/have to pay ..... all consequential damage to others are merely considered "collateral damage" in the cause of the greater good as seen by the amrikis, as indeed by the cheen too.


the price of being friendly with the amrikis is three fold, conversions, deathly embrace with weapons that will help the amrikis more that they will us, unrestricted access to their globally dominant, globally sustained supply chains like amazons, walmarts, amriki agri products, their pharma, MIC, and filth like monsanto and cargill, just to highlight a few among the thousands of the new age "east India company clones waiting in the wings each with their own "clive(s) of India", mundus hoisted up, ready to charge in and flood/overwhelm Indian industries.

and their evil objective was always, and still is, to corrupt, overwhelm, dominate, and ultimately crush the very spirit of India that is entrenched in the civilizational Idea of India.

It is the same ghazwa e hind concept, coming at us from another direction, and slyly, silently, malevolently, venomously, and maliciously slithering in while disguised as a friend, ally, well wisher, a partner and a concerned fellow democracy ...

no difference between what the britshits did to the weavers of bengal's fine muslin cloth, and what these amriki guys are eagerly waiting and ready to do to the rest of India's industries

[Rakesh]

^^^ Chetak Saar, be careful. You will be accused of being unable to see the *BIG* picture. Don't be so narrow minded.

[Manish_P]

...
• Indian MIC: No 351 Army Aviation Squadron raised with actual Prachand airframes
• American MIC: No 451 Army Aviation Squadron raised with zero Apache airframes

Well done Amreeka! Indian MIC - 1, American MIC - 0!
...

Admiral sir, since engine is Joint Indo-French will it not be Indian MIC - 0.5, French MIC - 0.5, American MIC - 0

[Rakesh]

Saar, Why? What Phor?

If there is anything the MUTUs on BRF really hate (more than the Russians) is the French.

The latter (Rafale for IAF and Navy) stole India away from the American embrace.

Don't demean our true and honest and philanthropic friends from La France!

[Manish_P]

Saar, Why? What Phor?

If there is anything the MUTUs on BRF really hate (more than the Russians) is the French.

The latter (Rafale for IAF and Navy) stole India away from the American embrace.

Don't demean our true and honest and philanthropic friends from La France!

Sahi pakde hain

French femmes are even more dangerous than Russi lal chicks

Me..i thank our stars that they keep the swedish blonde bombshells more than a arm and legs length away.

Filhaal Army kay Carl ki Gustafi maaf

[Rakesh]

Why to make, when you can import?

Below is part of a twitter thread from a twitter user who went to the IDAX (Indian Defence Aviation Exposition) at Jodhpur.

https://x.com/Tanishq_bafila/status/1835010647677190530 ---> Currently no plans of HAL to make attack helicopters in the category of APACHE.

[Rakesh]

Army to receive Apache attack helicopters in December
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ ... 678371.ece
24 Sept 2024

After a delay of more than six months, the Army is set to receive the first batch of three AH-64E Apache attack helicopters from Boeing in December. While the Apaches are for the deserts, the Army is set to deploy the indigenous light combat helicopter (LCH), manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., in Ladakh next year. “The manufacturer has communicated that there have been manufacturing delays due to supply chain issues. The first batch of three Apaches is now set to be delivered in December and the next three few months after that,” a defence source said. As per the original schedule, three helicopters were supposed to be delivered in May and three in July. The issue of delays was taken up with the U.S. at the political level and it was requested to prioritise the deliveries, the source added.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was on an official visit to the U.S. in August. On the LCH, a second source said the plan was to deploy them in Ladakh in 2024-25. The Apaches are ideal for countering armour and would be deployed in the deserts, another official said, adding that their capability gets limited in high altitudes due to their operational envelope. The LCH is specifically designed for high-altitude conditions, the official added. In March, the Army Aviation formally raised the 451 Aviation Squadron at Jodhpur that would operate the Apaches. The Apaches would be the second attack helicopters in the Army after the indigenous LCH. India signed a deal with Boeing for six Apaches, for the Army, at a cost of around $800 million in February 2020.

As part of the deal, six pilots and 24 technicians were trained by Boeing in the U.S. The Army Aviation, which has for long operated utility helicopters, inducted its first dedicated attack helicopter with the LCH and the first squadron, 351 Army Aviation, was moved to Missamari, Assam in the Eastern sector near the Line of Actual Control in November 2022. The Cabinet Committee had in the past given sanction for the procurement of 39 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters from the U.S., as part which the Indian Air Force inducted 22 Apaches under a deal signed in September 2015. Subsequently, the government decided that future Apache procurements would go to the Army.

While the Army has been pushing the case for 11 more Apaches, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) last year ordered a study on the number of armoured helicopters required by the three services which supported the requirement for 39 heavy attack helicopters. The Defence Acquisition Council has already approved the procurement of 156 LCH at an estimated cost of ₹45,000 crore, 90 for the Army and 66 for the Air Force. These are in addition to the 15 limited series production LCH being procured — 10 for IAF and five for the Army — at a cost of ₹4,264 crore, In addition to the LCH, the Army operates 75 Rudra helicopters, the armed version of the advanced light helicopter.

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/alpha_defense/status/1839216245318758577 ---> Indian Army to Deploy LCH Prachand Attack Helicopter in Ladakh by 2025, as Apaches Are Not as Suitable for High-Altitude.

https://x.com/gripen123456/status/1839225560284705136 ---> Are these Prachand equipped with air to air and ATGMs?

https://x.com/alpha_defense/status/1839232731781410837 ---> When they will be ordered?

https://x.com/darklordkk/status/1839256202812821538 ---> So what're they equipped with now? The WSO will open the canopy doors and hurl rocks?

https://x.com/raflanker/status/1839275583445803034 ---> They are equipped with A2A missiles, 70mm rockets and a chin mounted gun. Delay in ATGMs installation, has to do with the Army not selecting one for the LCH.

[ernest]

Army to receive Apache attack helicopters in December
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ ... 678371.ece
24 Sept 2024

The Apaches are ideal for countering armour and would be deployed in the deserts, another official said, adding that their capability gets limited in high altitudes due to their operational envelope.

This logic doesn't apply to tanks, I think. Any Indian tank must be able to fight in deserts, coasts, marshes, urban areas, mountains without any degradation of capability. They should be compatible with half century old equipment and infra that we have.

[SRajesh]

Rakesh
Is this intial chitti to RM for more Apaches!!!
I mean how many do we have if they are for anti tank warfare then would atleast another 100 to cover the Registan and the Doab region

[Rakesh]

I am posting both these tweets below, as it is important to understand the context of Apache vs Prachand. They are tweets in replies to other tweets and you can click on the link below, if you want to read more. But would like to highlight the points raised in these two tweets.

https://x.com/AlphaRaptor06/status/1839211921762922600 ---> Not an appropriate argument, Apaches far exceeds in capabilities compared with LCH in every other terrain. Logically both are required.

https://x.com/AlphaRaptor06/status/1839404237165646068 ---> LCH is not an alternative for Apaches. It’s like saying more number of Tejas can fill the requirement of Rafale or any other capable 4.5/5th gen fighters. Regarding the numbers, IAF had a requirement of 22 and IA had requirement of around 39. They got less due to complex procurement and cost issue.

===============================================

I have zero issue with both of the tweets above. Apache is a heavy helicopter, while Prachand is a LIGHT Combat Helicopter. The Apache can carry significantly more payload than the Prachand. Where the issue lies is with Army HQ dragging-their-feet on arming the Prachand with a capable anti-tank missile. There is either no money for missile integration or the missile is not good enough or there will be some other excuse. It is the same old tried-and-proven strategy ---> give me imports first and then I will work on the local platform. Same strategy is being employed in MRFA vs Tejas, in ATAGS vs ATHOS, in WHaP vs Stryker, in Zorawar vs Foreign Light Tank, etc.

Billions of $ are set aside for these imports, but every excuse is given for local maal. And when these issues are highlighted, people will come with guns blazing to shoot down these arguments...because you are insulting the memory of all the YOs, JCOs and NCOs who have laid down their lives for the nation. But is it not the senior leadership of the military - who cannot see beyond importing - insulting their memory?

To spend nearly a US $1 billion on getting six Apaches, while waiting for missile integration on Prachand is whose fault? The one highlighting the issue or the one sanctioning the purchase of six Apaches? Who is insulting the memory of fallen soldiers --- the one who calls Army HQ "import-pasand" or the senior leadership of the Army who is blissfully ordering these phoren platforms?

WHERE ARE THE VETERANS - WHO CALLED FOR VARIOUS INVESTIGATIONS FOLLOWING SUCCESSIVE HAL DHRUV CRASHES - ON THE APACHE LEH EPISODE? The silence is astounding and hypocritical. None of these veterans want to put out tweets or write articles on the Leh incident? They are all pin drop silent.

Please stop this half-baked strategy of talking about Atmanirbhar Bharat, but then look for various loopholes to import platforms. If you are going to import, then IMPORT properly. And if Apache cannot fly in Leh (as amply proven by the IAF Apache that got disabled at Leh, then had to be dismantled and trucked back to base), then go and IMPORT another phoren light combat helicopter.

[Rakesh]

This article was published in Feb 2021. We are now in Sept 2024 (more than three years later).

How many Helina anti-tank missiles have been ordered by Army HQ for the HAL Prachand?

We got a plethora of Chinese armour on our borders and the Prachand/Helina combination is a low-hanging fruit, but will not see timely fruition...because AH-64 Apache must come first. The Army Aviation Corps even held a formal squadron raising ceremony of the AH-64 Apache, without a SINGLE platform in squadron service. Such is the anticipation of the Apache. Set aside the money for a second, think of the time and manpower spent for this unit raising.

But no money saar, no manpower saar, no time saar, we have nothing saar for Helina purchase. What to do saar? But don't say anything okay, because our men lay down their lives for the country. Jai Hind Saar!

User trials of indigenous HELINA anti-tank missile complete, to be ordered by forces
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ne ... 105326.cms
19 Feb 2021

The indigenously developed HELINA helicopter launched anti tank missile has successfully demonstrated its capabilities in a series of user trials and is set to be ordered soon by the air force and army for its combat choppers.

The missile underwent a successful fifth firing trial on Friday that was being conducted jointly by the air force and army. Sources said that as part of the five tests, the HELINA was fired from a helicopter flying at over 260 km/hr to a moving ground target that it successfully hit.

All five tests were successful. All FIVE of them. Still no orders for Helina for HAL Prachand.

* Range of Helina: 7 km
* Range of AGM-114 Hellfire: 8 km

Since 8 km > 7 km, Hellfire is better than Helina.

Never mind that Apache cannot operate in the high altitude mountain regions like the Prachand...but 8 km > 7 km.

[bala]

but 8 km > 7 km.

Sorry to say this but Rajnath Singh as DM is to blame for this circus. How clueless can a DM become, if there are IDDM Helina anti-tank missiles available. All this talk of Atmanirbhar is pretty hollow if this chap cannot put his foot down and have the Army Prachand and IAF Prachand to order Helina immediately. The Army is lucky to have Prachand Helos when it is the job of the IAF primarily. Come on the buck stops at the DM level, what is he doing other than visiting videshi lands and signing some agreements to manufacture videshi maal in Bharat.

[Prem Kumar]

Rajnath Singh went on record a couple of years back, warning Armed Forces that the Govt knows the difference between true Atmanirbhar vs screwwdriver-assembly

All that sounds like hot-air now

Modi is a tinkerer and is unwilling/incapable of making deep-rooted changes, which involve ruffling a lot of feathers

But to fix our import-pasand-AF-Leadership, a sledgehammer is what is needed. Example: wholesale dismissal, demotion, passing-over-of promotion & heck even court-martial for compromising natsec. But Modi will do none of these. He will tinker around and feel that somehow, this gravy-train-moochers will see the error of their ways

Rajnath Singh does not have a mind of his own. He does what PM tells him to do

Better not to get our hopes & BP high. At least the PM is non-corrupt & does not sellout the nation. His term will however be remembered with an "If only ...." sigh

[Rakesh]

After spending nearly a $1 billion on six AH-64 Apaches, now the Army wants to lease Light Utility Helicopters.

Army looks to hire civil choppers for logistics on northern borders
https://indianexpress.com/article/india ... s-9617495/
13 Oct 2024

Meanwhile....

https://x.com/EkNashwar/status/1845712091690193201 ---> The Tumakuru facility of @HALHQBLR can deliver 30 helicopters a year with phased expansion of up to 90 helicopters a year. LUH order is limited to 12 LSPs while IA @adgpi negotiating the cost of 110 units. Snail pace of any domestic program with frequent emergency purchases and contracts.