15 Limited Series Production (LSP) units have been ordered in January 2021. 10 for the IAF & 5 for the AAC. HAL will set up an additional production facility capable of a peak production capacity of 30 helos/year as they execute the LSP order. After the LSP order is completed the larger orders will come in.
On July 2021 HAL delivered the 3 LSP units to the IAF. They plan to deliver the other 12 LSP units by March 2022. Although the plans may be delayed due to the CoVID lockdowns. We will see I guess.
So the IAF has 5 LCHs right now. 2 flight test prototypes that they armed & deployed in Ladakh & 3 LSP units. The LSP units are not yet deployed, I believe they are making preparations to inaugurate a new squadron. The Army has got nothing so far.
Here is a photo of one of the LSP units in IAF's colours:
As for the larger order the numbers are in hundreds but they vary depending on budget.
In 2017, the plan was that IAF would get 65 units + 2 prototypes & AAC would get 114 units. So a production run of 181 units. By the time these 181 units get built HAL would have a Mk-2 version of the LCH in the making. The order was supposed to have come by 2020.
In 2020, MoD was still doing paper work to order 162 units. A reduction by 19 units. No idea how many will go to IAF & AAC respectively.
@Niligiri don't know if you saw this. So posting here anyway. Here is a prototype of the HAL HTSE-1200. The photo is from March 2021.
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For those who never heard of this, the HAL HTSE-1200 is a 1200kW turboshaft engine being developed by HAL. The engine can power 3-4 ton class single engine helos & 5-8 ton class twin engine helos.
This engine will eventually replace the Shakti engines powering HAL's entire helicopter fleet except the upcoming IMRH. The LUH, ALH Dhruv, Rudra & the LCH will get this engine during their Mid-Life Upgrades (MLU). The IMRH will be powered by a couple of 2000kW engines which would probably be imported.
The engine had its 1st ground test on Feb 2018 where it ran at 76% of it max RPM. By 2019, 250+ ground runs at max power had been conducted. It was supposed to fly in early 2020 on an ALH Dhruv. The Dhruv would fly with one proven engine (Shakti) & one new engine (HTSE-1200). The 1st flight hasn't happened yet. Not sure what is causing the delay.
The HTSE-1200 shares a common core with the HTFE-25. Both engines are very important for HAL & the Indian military. Let's hope we see the 1st flight soon.
