Editorial: Boost for combat capability

The combat helicopter, developed by HAL, is a shot in the arm for the ‘Make in India’ initiative in the defence sector and reflects the country’s capabilities in defence production

The induction of the first fleet of the indigenously-built Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) comes as a major demonstration of India’s combat prowess. The combat helicopter, developed by public sector aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), is a shot in the arm for the ‘Make in India’ initiative in the defence sector and reflects the country’s capabilities in defence production. The four 5.8-tonne twin-engine gunship choppers — armed with air-to-air missiles, 20-mm turret guns, rocket systems and other weapons — have been developed mainly for mountain warfare. The helicopters are expected to bolster Indian Air Force’s air power as they are capable of carrying out strikes on the enemy’s infantry, tanks, bunkers and drones in high-altitude areas, besides being well equipped for counter-insurgency operations. Christened as ‘Prachand’, the first batch of four LCHs was inducted into the IAF’s Jodhpur Air Force Station. The design, integration and equipment are entirely indigenous. Over the next several years, the LCH will be the bedrock of attack helicopter formations in the Indian Army and the IAF. It has a number of stealth features, armoured-protection systems, night attack capability and crash-worthy landing gear for better survivability. The agility and manoeuvrability make the LCH an appropriate choice for mountain warfare as it can take off and land with a payload even at 16,000 feet. For a long time after Independence, indigenous technology for the development of the attack helicopter was not given enough attention.

As a result, the IAF had to depend on foreign-origin attack helicopters not just for its own operations but also for UN peacekeeping missions abroad. The welcome addition of LCHs to the IAF inventory comes a month after the commissioning of India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant. In June, the Coast Guard had commissioned the indigenous Advanced Light Helicopter MK-III’s squadron. These are good tidings for India’s defence industry, which is not only becoming less import-dependent but also making its presence felt in the international arena. The government claimed recently that defence exports had grown 334% in the past five years, with India now exporting to over 75 countries. It is also heartening that several countries have evinced interest in the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, including Malaysia, Argentina, Australia, Egypt, the US, Indonesia and the Philippines. The conscious efforts to promote indigenous design, development and manufacture of defence equipment are bearing fruit. Earlier this year, the Ministry of Defence had identified 18 major platforms for industry-led design and development. At present, India is the 23rd largest arms exporter in the world and the target is to expand the manufacturing capacity and become a bigger arms exporter. A reflection of that is visible in India’s defence industry, which is participating in the global supply chain significantly, with more than half of the exports going to American manufacturers.

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