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During the 20-minute flight the prototype conducted
extended hover and slow speed cyclic manoeuvre
at the height of little over 20 metres. During
the flight the pilots carried out low speed, low-altitude
checks on various systems on-board.
“The performance of the helicopter and systems
was satisfactory,” an official of the HAL said.
The first Technology Demonstrator (TD-1) was
not weaponised, and will be put through its full
flight routines without a single weapon on board.
Wing Commander Unni Pillai piloted the LCH’s maiden
flight.
The LCH is a dedicated attack helicopter derived
from the Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv and is
fitted with weapon systems, mission systems and
crashworthy wheel landing gear with in-built stealth
characteristics.
The twin-engine LCH belongs to the 5.5-ton class,
with a narrow fuselage with flat panels accommodating
a pilot and a gunner/co-pilot in tandem configuration
and eye-level display.
The helicopter is powered by the Shakti engine
jointly developed by HAL and Turbomeca of France.
The helicopter is equipped with helmet-mounted
targeting systems, electronic warfare systems,
Infrared (IR) suppressor and advanced weapons
systems i.e; rocket from Belgium, an MBDA air-to-air
missile, EW suite from SAAB, Nexter 20 mm turret-mounted
cannon from South Africa.
The maiden flight of LCH marks the successful
culmination of three years of design and development
efforts by Rotary Wing Research and Design Centre
of Helicopter Complex.
“A full-fledged qualification test program would
follow leading to initial operation clearance
by December 2011 towards induction into Indian
armed forces,” the official added.
It is fitted with anti-tank missiles, air-to-air
missiles and will perform anti-tank and counter
insurgency roles, as well as scout duties, escort
to heliborne operations and support for combat
operations. The armament also includes a chin
mounted twin barrel 20 mm cannon, rockets, air-to-surface
and air-to-air missiles.
The HAL’s LCH mission objectives will be air
defence against slow moving aerial targets, destruction
of enemy air defence (DEAD) operations, escort
to Special Heliborne Operations (SHBO), offensive
employment in urban warfare and Counter Surface
Force Operations (CSFO) including counter insurgency
operations, support of combat SAR operations and
anti-tank role.
The helicopter has been designed to fit into
an anti-infantry and antiarmour role. It can therefore
take off from an altitude of 10,000 feet, operate
weapons up to 16,300 feet, and engage targets
like UAVs that are flying at altitudes of up to
21,300 feet.
The LCH, which is a class in itself, will join
the Indian Army and Indian Air Force (IAF) by
the end of 2011- 2012 to meet the operational
need of combat helicopter.
HAL had announced to build an LCH in 2006. The
Government accorded sanction to the project in
October 2006 for the design and development of
LCH to meet the need of combat helicopter of the
IAF.
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