|
HAL Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Ashok Nayak told India Strategic in interviews at the Paris Air Show and New Delhi that the second aircraft was a "considerable improvement" over the first prototype as HAL and DRDO scientists had been able to achieve substantial weight reduction.
"Not only that, the human and weapons payload capacity of the rotorcraft had already been exceeded than the parameters mandated by the Indian Air Force (IAF)."
Although a derivative of the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv, the LCH has been re-designed and reconfigured from the beginning to operate literally at the Himalayan heights of 20000 feet (about 6 km). It carries two pilots, one as a weapons operator, in tandem seating. The helicopter is powered by the same Shakti engine that is used by the ALH.
The first helicopter was flown last year, for 20 minutes in the first flight, and the second June 2011-end. The combined hours that the two helicopters, prototype-1 and prototype-2, have done by now are 76.
Mr Nayak said the second prototype was flown to a height of 1.5 km with an All Up Weight (AUW) of 4900 kgs. The parametres successfully tested by HAL test pilots included general handling, slow speed handling, basic Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS) checks, up to 1.5 km altitude and with 60 degree bank turns.
Pictures of the helicopter in flight, with digitally designed camouflage paint, have been made available to India Strategic. Later, radar absorbent coating to increase its stealth features would also be added.
After the basic tests are conducted and all parameters
established, the helicopter would progressively
be taken to higher altitudes like Leh, Kargil
and Siachin as also in the desert climate of Rajasthan.
A few more prototypes and several more tests are
scheduled before the LCH gets into the production
line and becomes operational in about five years.
The initial operational clearance (IOC) is however
targeted to be achieved in 2013, Mr Nayak said
adding that the IAF is actively involved in all
stages of the aircraft testing and system approvals.
IAF has a highly reputed Aircraft and Systems
Testing Establishment (ASTE) in Bangalore which
checks and approves all kinds of aircraft. Test
pilots constitute the crème-de-la-crème
of any air force, and these daredevils take even
the new machines to their extremes before they
are put into routine flying operations.
Mr Nayak said that the desired weight of the LCH
is 5.5 tonnes. Besides the two pilots, it will
have a glass cockpit, gun and rocket pods, air-to-air
and air-to-ground missiles to attack and destroy
hostile positions high in the mountains like the
ones set up intruding Pakistani troops inside
India during the 1999 Kargil War.
Suitable applications as are found possible during
the testing would be carried out to boost the
lethality and survivability of the aircraft.
It may be noted that at present, IAF uses the
Soviet vintage Mi 35 combat helicopter. These
are being replaced with 22 newer combat helicopters,
and the IAF is just about to announce its choice
from two contestants, an up-rated Russian Mi 35
and the US Boeing Apache AH 64D with a new generation
combat radar. The winner is likely to be the one
which, first, qualifies in the Air Staff Qualitative
Requirements (ASQR) tests, and second, if both
go through that, then the lower bidder in terms
of initial price, operating costs and life cycle
costs over 40 years.
Notably, some aircraft are much cheaper initially,
but need too much of periodic maintenance, thereby
reducing the availability of the aircraft –
which is critical in war times – and long
term expenses.
IAF however has already submitted its decision
to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), which is due
to announce the winner of this competition any
time.
As for operations in 20,000 feet terrain, although
some helicopters built by leading foreign companies
reach those heights, they are not designed to
operate from there as nowhere in the world, there
are high altitude battle grounds like Siachin,
where helicopters are the lifeline to support
the troops against foreign intrusions and attacks.
At present, India operates variants of the French
Alouette with very limited load carrying capacity
to serve the troops posted in high altitude areas.
The LCH requirement is unique for India, and the
IAF accordingly had projected a need for several
combat helicopter squadrons to operate from the
Himalayan bases. The initial requirement was given
as 66 in 2006 but the numbers could well touch
100 once the production line is going in about
five years.
Notably, for high altitude operations, a substantial
chunk of any aircraft or helicopter has to be
made of composite materials and metals like titanium
to withstand exposure to extreme temperatures
and environment. This makes the machine expensive
but enables to operate, and that also with higher
payloads from high altitude bases.
|
