Siachen’s 156 Guardians: HAL Set to Craft Prachand Fleet

On Friday, March 28, 2025, India sealed its best protection deal ever, agreeing to aquire 156 home-built Light Strive in opposition to Helicopters (LCH) known as ‘Prachand’—a reputation which suggests fierce. These choppers, made by Hindustan Aeronautics Restricted (HAL), will abet the Indian Military and Air Force, costing Rs 62,000 crore. The Cupboard Committee on Security gave the green gentle accurate thru their assembly lately. This big step boosts India’s armed forces energy with a helicopter designed and crafted good here at home!

In June 2024, Hindustan Aeronautics Restricted (HAL) got a deal to produce 156 Light Strive in opposition to Helicopters. The Indian Military will procure 90 of them, while the Indian Air Force will receive 60. These choppers are being built at HAL’s manufacturing unit in Tumukru, Karnataka, making it an enormous gain for native manufacturing!

The 156 helicopters could be split between the Indian Military (90) and the Indian Air Force (66) to guard the borders with China and Pakistan. Defence sources shared with ANI that this circulate will now no longer handiest boost security however also form jobs and develop India’s aerospace industry!

This helicopter uses many parts made in India, aiming for over 65% native content material on this deal. Extra than 250 homegrown companies, largely small and medium agencies, will abet form it, creating over 8,500 jobs, both pronounce and indirect, alongside the style!

LCH Prachand: Ready by 2033

To execute certain every thing goes easily, the helicopters will originate being delivered three years after the contract is signed. In the future of this time, HAL will work on including and attempting out the Electronic Battle (EW) system and the total weapons to execute certain they’re prepared for motion.

Production Prance: HAL plans to form 30 helicopters every Three hundred and sixty five days, which is a enormous goal.

Start Date: If the deal is finalized in 2025, deliveries will originate in 2028.

Enact Line:All 156 helicopters could be handed over inner 5 years, so by 2033, the Indian Air Force and Military can occupy all their LCH Prachand choppers prepared to circulate.

This in style schedule means the forces can prepare, deploy, and employ the helicopters effectively without any run!

LCH Prachand : High-Flying War Beast

Built from scratch and examined for over ten years by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), this multi-characteristic attack helicopter is tailored for India’s armed forces. It’s designed to address both sizzling deserts and sky-excessive regions. The Light Strive in opposition to Helicopter (LCH) would be the handiest attack chopper on this planet that can land and take off at 5,000 meters (16,400 toes)—ultimate for the towering Siachen Glacier. Plus, it’s armed to the enamel, prepared to launch air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles and take down enemy air defenses with ease!

Light Strive in opposition to Helicopter: Energy and Precision Unleashed

The Light Strive in opposition to Helicopter (LCH), weighing 5.8 tonnes, is a fierce machine built by India’s HAL and France’s Safran, powered by twin Shakti engines. It’s designed for both ground assaults and air battles, with high-notch stealth parts, solid armor, and the flexibility to strike at evening. The Defence Ministry calls it a ultimate match for lately’s battlefields, thanks to its developed navigation, shut-combat weapons, and extraordinary air-to-air missiles.

This helicopter can zip thru the sky at 288 kmph, quilt a combat vary of 500 km, and climb up to 21,000 toes—making it to take into accounta good match for tricky spots admire Siachen. It’s sneaky too, with low radar and warmth signatures, plus crash-proof designs for better survival. The pilot and co-pilot (known as the Weapon Systems Operator) sit down one in the aid of the a bunch of in a pitcher cockpit shielded by armor. Here’s what it packs:

– A 20 mm nose gun that fires 800 rounds a minute and hits targets 2 km away.

– 70 mm rockets on its wings, reaching 4 km straight or 8 km indirectly.

– An electro-optical pod above the gun for day-and-evening surveillance and monitoring from afar.

– The ‘Dhruvastra’ anti-tank missile and ‘Mistral-2’ air-to-air missile, both placing up to 6.5 km.

With all these parts, the LCH is a tricky and trim warrior in the sky!

LCH Prachand : Sky Warrior Boosts India’s May

Adding the Light Strive in opposition to Helicopter (LCH) to the Air Force is a sport-changer, giving an great steal to the armed forces’s preventing energy. It’s a extraordinary tool tailored to meet the wants of both the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Military. Per HAL, this helicopter can tackle air protection, blast enemy tanks in excessive-altitude zones, tackle insurgents, and even address search-and-rescue missions. Plus, it’s loaded with slicing-edge tech to knock out the enemy’s air defenses.

The LCH is hastily, nimble, and built for motion—providing lengthy-vary reach, high performance at excessive altitudes, and the flexibility to fight day or evening in any weather. It’s prepared for tasks admire Strive in opposition to Search and Rescue (CSAR), smashing bunkers, combating insurgents in jungles or cities, and backing up ground troops, mutter Defence Ministry officials.

Good now, the Military Aviation hover doesn’t occupy its occupy attack helicopters—it uses a weaponized model of the Superior Light Helicopter. Meanwhile, the IAF flies Russian Mi-25 and Mi-35 attack choppers (which are being retired), at the side of Mi-17s, Mi-17V5s, Superior Light Helicopters, Apache attack helicopters, and Chinook heavy-steal choppers. The LCH steps in as a fresh, fierce addition to this lineup!