Bengaluru: Amid the prevailing border tension with China in Eastern Ladakh, two Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) developed by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) have been deployed for operations at high altitude in Leh.
The two HAL choppers will support the Indian Air Force (IAF) in its high altitude missions.
Light Combat Helicopters is a potent weapon platform because of its state-of-the-art systems and highly accurate weapons that are capable of hitting any type of target by day or night.
The other features of Light Combat Helicopters include its ability to operate in the complete 'Area of Responsibility' (AOR) and altitudes.
It has the capability to carry adequate weapon load at high altitudes under varied conditions.
All these characteristics make it most suitable for hot and high altitude operations.
The IAF and the Indian Army together need around 160 Light Combat Helicopters.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) had approved the proposal for an initial batch of 15 Light Combat Helicopters.
The IAF had issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for 15 Limited Series Production (LSP) helicopters (10 for IAF and 5 for Army) and HAL had submitted its response.
Technical evaluation and the price negotiations have been concluded and HAL expects to deliver shortly.
As a proactive measure, HAL had already launched production of Limited Series Production in anticipation of the orders at its Bengaluru facility.
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