Out of 156 Light Combat Helicopters, 66 LCHs will be supplied to the Indian Air Force and 90 to the Indian Army.
The Ministry of Defence on March 28, 2025, signed two contracts with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the supply of 156 Light Combat Helicopters (LCH), Prachand, along with training and other associated equipment worth Rs. 62,700 crore, excluding taxes. The first contract is for the supply of 66 LCHs to the Indian Air Force (IAF), and the second is for the supply of 90 LCHs to the Indian Army.
The supply of these helicopters shall commence from the third year and will be spread over the next five years. The contracts will enhance the combat capability of the Armed Forces at high altitudes. LCH is India’s first indigenously designed and developed combat helicopter with a capability of operating at an altitude of over 5000 meters. This helicopter has a large number of components designed and manufactured in India, and it is planned to achieve an overall indigenous content of over 65% during the execution of this procurement. This will involve over 250 domestic companies, mostly MSMEs, and will generate over 8,500 direct and indirect jobs.
Recently, HAL had been haunted by remarks over LCA Tejas delivery. Earlier this week, GE, in a press statement, mentioned that the first engine for LCA Tejas will be delivered and the line will be live to support the same in quick time. The massive order to HAL will boost the morale of local players, as it will also thrive in the entire defence industry ecosystem together.
The rotary division of HAL has been in form and has delivered LUHs on time to the respective forces on previous occasions, adhering to the timelines. The induction of LCH will add much-needed aerial superiority to the Indian Army as well as the Indian Air Force. While Boeing’s Apache helicopter is yet to be inducted, and there is still no update on the same, the fructification of LCH orders should be a sigh of relief to the stakeholders.
Designed and manufactured by HAL, LCH was named “Prachand” during its induction into the Indian Air Force on October 3, 2022. The aftermath of the Kargil War, which highlighted the alarming need for an attack helicopter, drove the Indian Armed Forces and HAL to explore the options for an indigenous light combat helicopter that could play a vital role in mountainous terrains as well.
The TD-1, Technology Demonstrator 1, of the LCH did its maiden flight on March 29, 2010, for about 20 minutes from HAL Bengaluru.
The Ministry of Defence also signed a contract with Metrea Management for the wet leasing of one Flight Refuelling Aircraft (FRA) for providing air-to-air refuelling training to pilots of the IAF and Indian Navy. Metrea will provide FRA (KC135 Aircraft) within six months, which will be the first FRA to be wet-leased by the IAF.
The then Defence Minister, Arun Jaitley, had inaugurated the full-scale production of the HAL Prachand on the same day it received initial operational clearance on August 26, 2017. The Indian Army Aviation Corps in Bengaluru raised the 351 Army Aviation Squadron, an attack squadron for LCH operations from Bengaluru.
With the signing of these three contracts, the total number of contracts signed by the Ministry of Defence during 2024-25 reaches 193, with an overall contract value exceeding Rs. 2,09,050 crore, which is the highest ever and nearly double the previous highest figure. Out of these, the contracts to the domestic industry are 177 (92%), with a contract value of Rs. 1,68,922 crore (81%). Hoping HAL to deliver the LCHs well within the timelines.
