India Helicopter Programs

[Gessler]

India & France to co-develop new turboshaft engine, possibly for IMRH.

Have to wonder if this won't be a version of the new Aneto-1K (2,500shp, 1,860kW) engine, like Shakti was a version of Ardiden.

French firm & HAL in talks to make new indigenous chopper engine, power ‘Make in India’ push

HAL is working on a twin-engine, multi-role, multi-mission chopper of about 13-tonne weightage, termed the Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH), with more endurance than Mi-17s.

theprint.in

IMRH 3d model WIP by Harshal Pal:

 

[Zapper]

@Gessler Given China arming PAA/PAF with Z-10ME, when do you think is the possibility for IAF & IA to place significant orders for the LCH now that HAL also setup an additional hangar last year to produce 30 LCHs per year?

As of now, I believe the 15LCHs' order will be distributed between IAF & AAC

 

[Gessler]

@Gessler Given China arming PAA/PAF with Z-10ME, when do you think is the possibility for IAF & IA to place significant orders for the LCH now that HAL also setup an additional hangar last year to produce 30 LCHs per year?

As of now, I believe the 15LCHs' order will be distributed between IAF & AAC

It doesn't quite work like that.

Attack helos are designed to counter Heavy Armour i.e. main battle tanks & armoured formations. Not other attack helos. If anything is to prompt IAF/IA into expanding orders, it would be a surge in numbers & quality of PA MBTs.

 

[Zapper]

It doesn't quite work like that.

Attack helos are designed to counter Heavy Armour i.e. main battle tanks & armoured formations. Not other attack helos. If anything is to prompt IAF/IA into expanding orders, it would be a surge in numbers & quality of PA MBTs.

Of course Attack chopper's primary role is to support mechanized columns and ground units but my point being PLA has hundreds of these to support their formations on LAC along with active UAV/UCAV support while PAA is likely to induct more since their initial attempt to procure the T-129 involved decent numbers if reports are to be believed

Even now, the initial batch of Z-10MEs' are numbered at 25 but will of course go up and probably number in the hundreds while we simply do not have enough to support our tank columns distributed between eastern & western theatres

 

[Gessler]

Of course Attack chopper's primary role is to support mechanized columns and ground units but my point being PLA has hundreds of these to support their formations on LAC along with active UAV/UCAV support while PAA is likely to induct more since their initial attempt to procure the T-129 involved decent numbers if reports are to be believed

Even now, the initial batch of Z-10MEs' are numbered at 25 but will of course go up and probably number in the hundreds while we simply do not have enough to support our tank columns distributed between eastern & western theatres

Your question was - are we going to order more LCHs now in response to Pakistan' acquisition of Z-10.

And the answer is no.

Pakistan already possesses nearly 50 AH-1F Cobras (unclear how many are operable) and the acquisition program for new attack helos was always meant to be a replacement for those old ones. So in the end, the net number of helos is not going to increase, in fact in the medium term it would actually decrease.

Plus, the acquisition program for new attack helos on part of PA is nothing new. They've been working on it for over a decade, the initial plan was for AH-1Z Viper, and those actually went much further along the pipeline (airframes intended for Pak were already built) before US blocked the export at last minute.

The LCH procurement will happen along the lines it would otherwise have. As would any follow-on orders for AH-64Es. The acquisition of Z-10 is neither going to change the dynamics nor present any paradigm shift.

 

[Nilgiri]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1482332365863088129

 

[Nilgiri]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1483719917790969861

 

[Nilgiri]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1486997806929702912

 

[Zapper]

HAL LCH

 

[Zapper]

IAF's LCH

 

[Nilgiri]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1501145818144722945

 

[Zapper]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1503262835182563328

 

[Gessler]

 

[Nilgiri]

Advanced light helicopters inducted into INS Parundu

RAMANATHAPURAM

www.thehindu.com

 

[Zapper]

HAL LCH

 

[Zapper]

India To Procure 15 Light Combat Helicopters

The defence ministry said 10 helicopters will be for the Indian Air Force and five will be for the Indian Army.

https://www.financialexpress.com/defence/air-force-army-to-soon-fly-indigenous-light-combat-helicopters-govt-approves-procurement-of-15-lch-limited-series-production/2476693/

 

[Nilgiri]

India To Procure 15 Light Combat Helicopters

The defence ministry said 10 helicopters will be for the Indian Air Force and five will be for the Indian Army.

https://www.financialexpress.com/defence/air-force-army-to-soon-fly-indigenous-light-combat-helicopters-govt-approves-procurement-of-15-lch-limited-series-production/2476693/

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1509140641015472135

@MisterLike

 

[Nilgiri]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1515211865051189249

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1515308289239969794

 

[Nilgiri]

 

[Nilgiri]

Good article (in The Week ) on LUH should be out soon.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1527481133654749185