IAF to induct Made-in-India Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) on THIS day: IN PICS

The Indian Air Force will induct the 'Made-in-India' Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) developed by HAL on October 3 at Jodhpur Airbase.

The LCH is the India's first indigenously-built dedicated combat helicopter and was handed over to the IAF by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2021.

At least two airframes have been in use with the IAF in Ladakh since last year and have been flying armed patrol sorties in the region amid reports of China’s escalating border problems.

The chopper undergone testing in Ladakh, where India and China are locked in a standoff, and on the Siachen Glacier, the highest battlefield in the world.

Equipped with Shakti engine developed by HAL with French engine-maker Safran, the 5.5-tonne helicopter has been designed to operate at an altitude of up to 20,000 feet.

The helicopter comes armed with a cannon mounted below its nose, with a capability to fire thousand 20-millimetre bullets each minute. It carries 70-millimetre rockets on pods on either side and can also be armed with an air-to-air missile and an anti-armour missile.

MBDA’s Mistral air-to-air missile has also been test-fired from the LCH, and the HAL has procured and integrated Mistral-specific launchers on the platform.