Army asks for attack copters

[Major Shaitan Singh]

The Indian Army has validated the concept of “aviation brigades” in its latest battlefield exercise and now wants attack helicopters of its own to provide aerial support to its tanks and advancing troops in a battle scenario. The concept was validated in the recently-held Exercise Sudarshan Shakti in the Rajasthan desert, sources said.
As per the Army’s plans, each aviation brigade in future is to constitute three squadrons of helicopters. One squadron will comprise helicopters used for airlifting heavy equipment, the second will be used for recce purposes while the third squadron in the aviation brigade will perform the most crucial task of providing air support to the advancing battle tanks. Currently, the task of providing air-support to advancing troops in a battle-scenario is performed by attack helicopters of the Indian Air Force.
But the Army feels that it should have attack helicopters of its own to perform the task since the “aviation brigade is tailor-made” to move continuously with the Army formations on ground and maintain the “forward edge in the tactical battlefield area”. Currently, the Army does not have its own attack helicopters.
Attack helicopters that are being developed for the Army by the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) are currently undergoing trials.
“Unplanned fleeting opportunities present themselves at different points in time and space, which, if not capitalised upon, lead to a standard toe to toe slugging match. The presence of aviation brigade headquarters in the tactical battlefield area negates these misses,” said a source.

 

[Omega007]

Combat gunships with ATGMs are must for Army to deliver a devastating blow upon enemy mechanised and panzer forces which may very well shorten the battle and casualties of friendly forces.But surprisingly(read shockingly) IAF is denying the IA to induct gunships in the Army Aviation Corps because of the foolish perception that all the armed aircrafts should be with IAF!!But with the induction of ALH Rudra and later HAL LCH,IA will atlast get the aerial fire power it is wanting from late 80's.

 

[Bl[i]tZ]

Combat gunships with ATGMs are must for Army to deliver a devastating blow upon enemy mechanised and panzer forces which may very well shorten the battle and casualties of friendly forces.But surprisingly(read shockingly) IAF is denying the IA to induct gunships in the Army Aviation Corps because of the foolish perception that all the armed aircrafts should be with IAF!!But with the induction of ALH Rudra and later HAL LCH,IA will atlast get the aerial fire power it is wanting from late 80's.

A few Apaches as well?

 

[Omega007]

A few Apaches as well?

Yep,but I think that they are for IAF and not AAC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

[Raje amar]

its a right ful demand.
not the fixed wing but rotary wing is must for Army.
they must pusses all kind of copters as observation, mediun lift, heavy lift and light & heavy gunship.

 

[Abingdonboy]

I don't understand this news. Is this the IA asking for anything they are not already getting? I mean they are getting a significant number of ALH, ALH WSI, LUH, LCH is this a request for more on top of these platforms?

 

[DMLA]

LCH has not been sanctioned yet! They have only provided an in principle request with HAL. Govt. needs to sanction the program for the army. The funding till now has only been for R&D and 3 prototypes. Also there are no specific plans to arm LUH and the platform itself is years from first flight. Only ALH WSI is funded for and expected in the days ahead.

 

[pmukherjee]

Absolutely bloody right. The IA should get total command and control over the rotary winged resources that are needed to further the tactical battle plan. Reconnaissance, casualty evacuation, battlefield aerial transportation of men and materiel, attack helicopter/gunships all crucial in achieving decisive victory in the tactical battle area should be under the command and control of the IA, for operations and maintenance. Let the IAF look after the strategic aspects like counter air operations, interdiction and strategic airlift.

It is time the IAF let go of the nonsensical attitude of trying to own everything that flies. This attitude, more than anything else is responsible for the bad blood between the services.

 

[Abingdonboy]

LCH has not been sanctioned yet! They have only provided an in principle request with HAL. Govt. needs to sanction the program for the army. The funding till now has only been for R&D and 3 prototypes. Also there are no specific plans to arm LUH and the platform itself is years from first flight. Only ALH WSI is funded for and expected in the days ahead.

The HAL LUH is far from first flight but the foreign LUH which is expected to e announced soon will be armed,this was a key requirement laid down in the requirements. LCH is effectively guaranteed for IA as long as HAL are able to keep their end of the bargain and produce the top-notch product the IA desires.

 

[sancho]

With IA inducting Rudra and the similarity to LCH, I don't think MoD will have much options to reject it, especially since it makes a lot of operational sense to have the combat helicopters close to the ground forces they should cover. IAF instead should focus on armed UAVs to add to the CAS role, at least it's fixed winged and they need propper air bases as well, unlike helicopters.

 

[Omega007]

@Abingdonboy,
IA wants to induct 118 LCH as initial order to equip its 3 strike corps with 2 squad/corps.But till now it's not finalised and the rift between IAF and IA is still exist at large.

@sancho,
Any person with slightest common sence would have thought the same way and I completely agree
with you.But in Indian MoD and armed forces,the common sence is the rarest of the rare virtue.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

With IA inducting Rudra and the similarity to LCH, I don't think MoD will have much options to reject it, especially since it makes a lot of operational sense to have the combat helicopters close to the ground forces they should cover. IAF instead should focus on armed UAVs to add to the CAS role, at least it's fixed winged and they need propper air bases as well, unlike helicopters.

That seems to be obvious to all but the IAF.
Thank God, the IN fought off the IAF and ended up being able to fly our own planes; and all because the ruddy IAF could'nt sail the ships that the planes would fly off from!

 

[sancho]

Any person with slightest common sence would have thought the same way and I completely agree
with you.But in Indian MoD and armed forces,the common sence is the rarest of the rare virtue.

The rivalry between the forces might be a bigger issue and MoD don't want to choose sides. Another issue could be, that IAF is responsible for the maintenance of the helicopter fleet, even if they are mainly used by IA and as long as IA don't have the same capability, it might be difficult to provide them with a big air wing.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

The rivalry between the forces might be a bigger issue and MoD don't want to choose sides. Another issue could be, that IAF is responsible for the maintenance of the helicopter fleet, even if they are mainly used by IA and as long as IA don't have the same capability, it might be difficult to provide them with a big air wing.

Correction! First line maintenance of IA's choppers is done by the EME, major maintenance at HAL. Maintenance at BRDs of the IAF is resorted to only in a few areas where EME facilities are sparse.

 

[notsuperstitious]

I think IAF thinking is unreasonable. IA must retaliate and ask IAF to abandon all their bases situated on land