Light Combat Helicopter (LCH)

#GS-03 Science and Technology

About Light Combat Helicopter (LCH):

LCH is designed and developed indigenously by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL’s) helicopter division.
LCH is a twin-engine dedicated combat helicopter of 5 to 8-tonne class.
The LCH incorporates advanced technologies and stealth features for effective combat roles and has the capability to carry out advanced combat roles such as anti-tank combat, counter surface force operations, counterinsurgency, destruction of enemy air defence, search and rescue etc.
The LCH is the only attack helicopter in the world that is able to land and take off at an altitude of 5,000 m while carrying a considerable load of weapons and fuel.
It is able to effectively operate even in temperatures ranging from minus 50 degrees Celsius on snow peaks to 50 degrees Celsius in the desert.
LCH has been formally inducted into the 143 Helicopter Unit ‘Dhanush’ at the Jodhpur Air Force Station.
The helicopter has an effective combat radius of 500 km and a service ceiling of 21,000 feet which makes it ideal to operate at high altitude areas of the Siachen glacier.
The LCH is armed with 20 mm nose gun, 70 mm rockets, anti-tank guided missile ‘Dhruvastra’ and air-to-air missile ‘Mistral-2’ of MBDA which has a maximum interception range of 6.5 km.