Indigenous Contender In the Indian context, the IAF already has an excellent platform for such a future Anti-drone role, in the indigenously developed Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), which is now in production with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). [...] The LCH was developed with significant input and participation from the Air Force, which demanded manoeuvrability, agility, lethality, and speed, coupled battlefield survivability and crashworthiness being the other key attributes. [...] While the LCH has been inducted into service, primarily as an attack helicopter to engage armoured targets and support the army’s motorized infantry and armoured columns; it can have a more than useful secondary role Countering the drone threats on 2 Reminiscences of IAF from the Past 09 October 2024 the battlefield. [...] The tandem-seat LCH is the only attack helicopter in its class with the ability to carry its full weapon load till 14,000 feet and land and take-off from altitudes of 15,000 feet. [...] The Mistral ATAMs have a large off-boresight capability, together with the ability to aim the missile seeker very precisely at a given target.
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- Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Centre for Air Power Studies CAPS 1
- This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International License. 1
- Centre for Air Power Studies CAPSIndia Centre for Air Power Studies Centre for Air Power Studies 1
- The use of Armed Drones and Remotely Piloted Vehicles RPV in the ongoing conflicts in the Ukraine 2
- Anti-Aircraft Defences and Surface-to-Air Missile SAM systems. Any future conflict is likely to witness 2
- Innovative Drone Defence 2
- Command announced that one of its AH-64 attack helicopters carrying an upgraded AGM-114 Hellfire 2
- The Indian Air Force IAF which already operates AH-64 attack helicopters and AGM-114 Hellfire 2
- Apaches are obviously a contender for undertaking Anti-drone defence duties they may be better 2
- Indigenous Contender 2
- In the Indian context the IAF already has an excellent platform for such a future Anti-drone role in the 2
- Aeronautics Limited HAL. The LCH which has been named Prachand was inducted into service in 2
- October 2022 with the newly raised 143 Helicopter Unit at Air Force Station Jodhpur. The LCH was 2
- The LCH could potentially fill an important void within the Indian Armed Forces with regards to 2
- The advanced fighter jets operated by the Air Force are often flying at too high a speed to intercept 3
- UAVs while the utility helicopters presently in service are too slow. The Air Force operates armed 3
- Cross Section RCS that is 13rd that of the Dhruv helicopter. The LCH is also equipped with a Laser 3
- Warning Receiver LWR Radar Warning Receiver RWR and a Missile Warning Receiver MWR. It 3
- Designed to Attack 3
- According to Wg Cdr retd Unni Pillai HALs former Chief Test Pilot Rotary Wing the LCH exactly fills 3
- The tandem-seat LCH is the only attack helicopter in its class with the ability to carry its full 3
- The LCH has been designed to tackle airborne threats and is armed with MBDAs Mistral Air to 3
- Air Missile ATAM. These missiles are carried on the on two twin launchers one on either side of the 3
- LCH allowing it to carry four Infra-Red IR guided high speed fire-and-forget Mistral ATAMs. The 3
- Mistral ATAMs have a large off-boresight capability together with the ability to aim the missile seeker 3
- The LCH is also fitted with a chin-mounted 20mm cannon which is slaved to the pilots Helmet 3
- Mounted Display Sight HMDS. The Nexter Systems THL20 chin-mounted turret is fitted with Nexters 3
- 20 mm M621 cannon which has an average rate of fire of 750-800 rounds per minute and an effective 3
- Worthy of Consideration 4
- The LCH is heavily armed and highly manoeuvrable. It is already in service and can easily be customized 4
- HAL the integration of new sensors and weapons for any future anti-drone defence role for the LCH can 4
