India’s first ever indigenously developed Light Combat Helicopter is intensively suitable for combat role capabilities. Prachand Helicopter is an efficient example of a reliable combat aircraft designed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
What is Prachand (Light Combat Helicopters)?
Prachand is India’s most tremendous first-ever indigenously developed Light Combat Helicopter, formally inducted and accepted in the elite organization of India that is none other than the Indian Air Force. These LCHs are capable and suitable for high altitudes and high-ranking battlefields. It has been creatively designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
Let us find out some features of Light Combat Helicopters:
- The need for the emergence of LCHs marked its place by the time of the Kargil War of 1999. The primary requirement of the forces was helicoptered with a tendency to survive the harsh heat of deserts and cold temperatures of the high-ranking regions.
- The impressive thing about Light Combat Helicopters is that they are the only helicopters in the world that can land and take off from an altitude of about 5,000 meters, along with a considerably heavier load of weapons and fuel.
- The structure is guaranteed to have crash-proof technology.
- It uses radar-absorbing material.
- They are well equipped with a countermeasure dispensing system that safeguards them from opponents’ radars or infrared suppliant of opponent missiles.
- The Shakti engines have been put in place, powered by French-origin manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics limited.
- These helicopters offer precision strikes and have vibrant endurance to remain airborne in the sky with fuel for 3 hours.
- The aircraft is a 5.8 tonnes reliable light combat helicopter.
- It can fly up to 6.5 km of altitude and for 3 hours at high-ranging altitudes.
- Weaponry system: The aircraft consists of air-to-air missile systems, a 20 mm turret cannon, and 70 mm rockets on board.
- Regarding safety from various factors, the aircraft is protected from nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) calamities by a pressurized compartment.
What are the various capabilities of LCHs in terms of combat roles?
They are immensely suitable for combat roles like demolition of the enemy’s air defense, operations against insurgency, combat search and rescue, anti-tank, and operations against surface forces. The nation’s defence is a crucial factor for one’s nation, and the defense of our nation is our topmost priority. According to Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh, these helicopters will soon replace the existing foreign helicopters from the scenario because, as per him, ‘Nam hai Prachand’ name is Prachand, and the helicopters will successfully replace the foreign seizure helicopters.
The Prachand (LightCombat Helicopter) has brought a significant boost and revolution in terms of development in combat air defence, search, and rescue operations. It also lifted and made India’s self-reliance program, Atma Nirbhar Bharat, more progressive.
