Did You Know That India Has One Of The Best Combat Helicopters? Here's More

By Rajkamal

Did you know that India has one of the best Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) in the world? The attack ship also managed to land at an altitude of 16,000 feet or 4,876 meters above sea level, making it one of a kind.

But that is just a fraction of what one needs to know about India's best combat helicopter. Here are some more interesting facts.

Did You Know That India Has One Of The Best Combat Helicopters? Here's More

The Light Combat Helicopter was developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), a government owned aerospace and defence company based out of Bangalore, Karnataka.

Did You Know That India Has One Of The Best Combat Helicopters? Here's More

The requirement for such a helicopter came during the Kargil war, when the Army needed a helicopter for high altitude operations.

Did You Know That India Has One Of The Best Combat Helicopters? Here's More

The LCH made its first flight back in March 2010. A 20-minute flight was performed from Bangalore and the low altitude flight was to check the on-board systems, and was reported satisfactory.

Did You Know That India Has One Of The Best Combat Helicopters? Here's More

The LCH was a derivative, or based on the HAL Dhruv, which was first announced in November 1984 and is still in service.

Did You Know That India Has One Of The Best Combat Helicopters? Here's More

The LCH project was estimated to cost around Rs. 376 crore.

Did You Know That India Has One Of The Best Combat Helicopters? Here's More

The Indian Air Force is to acquire 65 LCHs and the Indian Army is to acquire 114 helicopters.

Did You Know That India Has One Of The Best Combat Helicopters? Here's More

The LCH has been designed to fit into anti-infantry and anti-armour roles. Like mentioned earlier, the LCH is designed for high altitude operations and weighs 5.5 tons.

Did You Know That India Has One Of The Best Combat Helicopters? Here's More

The LCH has a glass cockpit with multifunction display, with laser range finder, laser designator and helmet mounted sight to aim weapons.

Did You Know That India Has One Of The Best Combat Helicopters? Here's More

The LCH features a sleek and narrow fuselage, crashworthy landing gear, crashworthy and self-sealing fuel tanks, armour protection, nuclear, and low visibility features. This makes the LCH lethal and agile.

Specification & Performance

Specification & Performance

Top Speed: 280km/h (145 Knots)
Range: 700km
Service Ceiling: 6,500meters
Crew: 2
Max Takeoff Weight: 5,800kg

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Picture credit: Wiki Commons

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Read more on: #off beat
Article Published On: Tuesday, March 15, 2016, 10:51 [IST]
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