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Confused over a no. of Attack Helicopter Projects been undertaken by Indian Armed forces, i thought to open this thread to differentiate b/w the LCH, Rudra & Apache attack Helos that will serve the Indian armed forces in years to come.
Apache Longbow AH-64D:
Introduction
Boeing (AH64 D Apache Longbow) and Mil (Mi 28 Havoc) competed to supply 22 attack helicopters of 2.5t class to the IAF. The Mi 28 did not meet IAF requirements during flight trials. Boeing is currently the only contender in the field. The contract is estimated to be worth $550 million.
Procurement History
A $550 million-tender procure 22 attack helicopters to replace IAFs ageing Mi-25 and Mi-35 attack helicopter fleet was issued in 2008.
India scrapped the tender on March 25, 2009 because none of the three companies still in the fray met the qualitative requirements.
A fresh tender was floated in mid 2009 and seven companies were invited to bid. The contract, estimated to be worth $600 million, stipulates aircraft in the 2.5t-class and envisages an optional delivery of additional 22 helicopters.
Qualitative Requirements
The qualitative requirements are as follows
* Twin engine
* High maneuverability
* Anti armor capability
* All weather capability
* All terrain capability
The IAF wants these gunships to be highly-agile, have good armor protection and a 20mm caliber turret gun, as also be capable of firing 70mm rockets with a 1.2-km range and missiles with at least 7-km range.
The helicopters are likely to be equipped with an electronic warfare and self protection suite developed by EADS and India's Defense Avionics Research Establishment.
Contenders
Of the seven companies invited to bid, only one remains in the fray as detailed below.
* Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow
* Eurocopter Tiger
* AgustaWestland AW129
* Bell AH-1Z SuperCobra
* Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk
* Mil Mi-28
* HAL's Light Combat Helicopter
Eurocopter reportedly opted out of the race because the Tiger is undergoing upgrades and will not be available for trials in mid 2010 as required by the IAF.
Bell opted out of the race because its helicopter is still undergoing evaluation by the US Marine Corp.
HAL's Light Combat Hircraft, which is still underdevelopment, first took to the air in 2010.
Agusta Westland pulled out due to technical reasons.
Sikorsky pulled out due to time constraints and procedural bottlenecks within their country.
Mil's Mi-28 did not make the cut during flight trials.
Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow
General characteristics
Crew: 2 (pilot, and co-pilot/gunner)
Length: 58.17 ft (17.73 m) (with both rotors turning)
Rotor diameter: 48 ft 0 in (14.63 m)
Height: 12.7 ft (3.87 m)
Disc area: 1,809.5 ft² (168.11 m²)
Empty weight: 11,387 lb (5,165 kg)
Loaded weight: 17,650 lb (8,000 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 23,000 lb (10,433 kg)
Powerplant: 2× General Electric T700-GE-701 and later upgraded to T700-GE-701C (1990present) & T700-GE-701D (AH-64D block III) turboshafts, -701: 1,690 shp, -701C: 1,890 shp, -701D: 2,000 shp (-701: 1,260 kW, -701C: 1,490 kW, -701D: 1,490 kW) each
Fuselage length: 49 ft 5 in (15.06 m)
Rotor systems: 4 blade main rotor, 4 blade tail rotor in non-orthogonal alignment
Performance
Never exceed speed: 197 knots (227 mph, 365 km/h)
Maximum speed: 158 knots (182 mph, 293 km/h)
Cruise speed: 143 knots (165 mph, 265 km/h)
Range: 257 nmi (295 mi, 476 km) with Longbow radar mast
Combat radius: 260 nmi (300 mi, 480 km)
Ferry range: 1,024 nmi (1,180 mi, 1,900 km)
Service ceiling: 21,000 ft (6,400 m) minimum loaded
Rate of climb: 2,500 ft/min (12.7 m/s)
Disc loading: 9.80 lb/ft² (47.9 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.18 hp/lb (0.31 KW/kg)
Armament
Guns: 1× 30 × 113 mm (1.18 × 4.45 in) M230 Chain Gun with 1,200 rounds
Hardpoints: Up to 6 pylon stations on stub wing
Rockets: Hydra 70 air-to-ground rockets
Missiles: combination of AGM-114 Hellfire, AIM-9 Sidewinder, and AIM-92 Stinger
Trials
Competitive trials of the helicopters were held in Ladakh and Rajasthan and also in the US and Russia.
Boeing AH-64D Selected
India announced on Tuesday, October 25, 2011 that Boeing AH-64D had been selected to meet the IAF requirement.
An Indian Defense Ministry source said, We decided not to choose the Mi-28 for technical reasons. Our experts believe that the Mi-28N did not meet the requirements of the tender on 20 positions, while the Apache showed better performance.
In August 2012, TOI reported that India was poised to sign a $1.4 billion deal for the purchase of the 22 helicopters as also the supply of 812 AGM-114 L-3 Hellfire Longbow missiles, 542 AGM-114 R-3 Hellfire-II missiles, 245 Stinger Block I-92 H missiles and 12 AN/APG-78 fire-control radars. [via Economic Times]
News
Boeing AH-64D Bid Detailed
Flight magazine reported on January 4, 2011 that the US government had approved a direct commercial sale of the AH-64D Block III to India.
A notice issued by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on 27 December estimates that a direct commercial sale of 22 AH-64Ds, plus weapons, sensors, spares and training would cost about $1.4 billion.
According to the DSCA the sale will include 50 General Electric T700-701D engines, over 1,350 Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, 245 Raytheon Stinger missiles, 12 Lockheed/Northrop Grumman APG-78 fire control radars and 23 Lockheed modernised target acquisition designation sight/pilot night vision sensors.
Light Combat Aircraft (LCH):
Introduction
The 5.5-tonne twin engine LCH is a derivative of Dhruv ALH with tandem seating. The HAL developed LCH will supplement the 22 attack helicopters that India is seeking as part of an international tender.
At a Glance
The Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) is a derivative of Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv. It features tandem seating, instead of side by side as on the Dhruv, armor protection, and a glass cockpit.
Its Shakti engine, jointly developed by HAL and Turbomeca of France, has been optimized for high altitude operations.
Dimensions
Design Features
The machine is a Low Observable (LO) design with reduced visual, aural, radar and infra red signatures. It features canted panels for lower radar cross section and IR suppressor for low IR signature.
It has crashworthy landing gear for better survivability. The hingeless rotors and the powerful Shakti engines enable the easy manoeuvring of LCH even with weapons.
The following are some of the important design features of the helicopter
Hinge less Main Rotor
Anti-resonance vibration isolation system
Integraged dynamic system
Bearing less Tail Rotor
Shakti Engine with FADEC
Electronic Warfare (EW) Suite comprising Radar, Laser and Missile warning.
Glass Cockpit
Detachable stub wing for carrying armament
Armament includes Rockets, Missiles and 20 mm turret gun
Electro Optical Pod
LCH Survival Features
The following are the survival features on the Light Combat Helicopter
The engine exhausts are fitted with IR Suppressor
The pressurized cockpit features NBC Sensors
The crew seat is designed to protect the pilot during impact on crash
A narrow front fuselage protects the pilot from enemy ground fire
A flat front glass panel reduces glint
Front fuselage features armor protection on the sides
Fuselage bottom is crashworthy
The rear wheel of the tricycle undercarriage offers crash protection
Canted flat panels reduce RCS
Capabilities
Engine 2 x 895 kw Shakti Engines with FADEC derated to 798 kw
Weight (tons) 5.8
Max Speed
Kts 145
Kph 268
Ceiling
Feet 21325
Meters 6500
Range (km) 550
Max Oblique ROC (m/sec) 12
Armament 20mm turret twin-barrel gun
MBDA air-to-air missile
HELINA anti-tank missile
Cluster bombs
Rocket pods
EW Suite From SAAB, South Africa.
Avionics Helmet mounted sight developed in collaboration with Israel.
Self defense suite from Israel
FLIR
Armament
It will be armed with a 20mm turret twin-barrel gun, cluster bombs, rocket pods as well as air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles.
It has a chin-mounted canon along with the helmet mounted sighting system, which gives the pilot the capability to look and fire at targets around the aircraft.
The DRDO is reported to be developing the HELINA missile, a Nag derivative with an extended range of 7 km, to augment the helicopter's air-to-ground capability.
Advanced Rotor Design
Dr. Prasad Sampath, general manager of HAL's Rotary Wing Research & Design Center, told the press during Aero India 2011 that the LCH was probably the most agile design in the world because of its rotor'.
Avionics
Its advanced sensor suite, developed with the help of Israel, consists of CCD Camera, Forward looking infrared imaging technology and Laser range finder, facilitates target acquisition in all weather conditions and at night.
The EW suite has been procured from SAAB, South Africa.
The Helicopter would be fitted with a Data Link for network-centric operations facilitating the transfer of mission data to the other airborne platforms and ground stations operating in the network, thus facilitating the force multiplication.
Role
LCH is intended for use in air defense against slow moving aerial targets, destruction of enemy air defence operations, escort to special heliborne operations, support of combat search and rescue operations, anti-tank role and scout duties.
Designed for anti-tank and anti-infantry roles with a maximum speed of 275 kmph (148kt), it will also be capable of high-altitude warfare since its operational ceiling will be 16,000 to 18,000 feet (5,490m).
Orders
HAL has already bagged a firm order to deliver 65 LCH to the IAF and 114 to the Army, company sources told PTI in December 2009.
On April 5, 2011, Flight magazine reported that deliveries against the order will start in 2013-14.
Development Schedule
The first prototype of the Light Combat Helicopter was to make its maiden flight in March 2009. The landmark event was subsequently postponed to mid-August.
"We have completed the design. However, there was a problem with one of the vendors who was supposed to provide the tooling for the LCH, and so we have no choice but to push the first flight to August," said Ashok Baweja, HAL's chairman, during Aero India 2009.
The scheduled slipped further and the aircraft eventually flew for the first time on March 30. However, the flight, restricted to just a hover, was run up to the official first flight scheduled in April.
First Flight
First official flight test is scheduled for April 2010, though there will be several flight tests in the run up to the event.
"The first flight was perfect and we achieved all the intended objectives," said an HAL official who witnessed the flight on March 30.
First Official Flight
The LCH formally took to the skies in the presence of the Defence Secretary RK Singh, Vice Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal PK Barbora, Chairman HAL, Ashok Nayak and senior officials of Defence ministry and the forces at the HAL airport in Bangalore on May 23.
Chief Test pilot Unni Pillai and Hari Nair put up a spectacular flying display of the LCH on its maiden flight.
Second Prototype
The second prototype LCH - TD2 - was displayed at Aero India 2011. It started flying end June 2011.
According to HAL Chairman and Managing Director Ashok Nayak, the second LCH is a "considerable improvement" over the first prototype as HAL and DRDO scientists have been able to achieve substantial weight reduction.
"Not only that, the human and weapons payload capacity of the rotorcraft had already been exceeded than the parameters mandated by the Indian Air Force (IAF)," he told India Strategic defence magazine in July 2011.
The two prototypes had flown 76 hours by July 2011.
Third Prototype
A third prototype/tech demonstrator TD-3 is under fabrication as on August 2011, and will soon join the test program.
Initial Operational Clearance
LCHs initial operational clearance (IOC) was scheduled for December, 2011.
The LCH was begin its first off-base trials at sea-level in October 2011, followed by off-base hot weather and cold weather trials at high altitude in Ladakh.
Weapons trials will take place between the hot and cold weather trials.
On June 28, 2012, the Livefist blog reported that the LCH is set to undergo sea level trials at AF Station Tambaram starting June 29, 2012. The trials are planned to span 7 to 10 days.
Final Operational Clearance
HAL aims to finish flight testing by February 2013.
After achievement of IOC, the schedule for final operational clearance (FOC) will be formalized. After receipt of FOC, HAL will approach IAF for supply orders and the delivery schedule.
The IAF (primary customer) has confirmed a requirement of 65 units, while the Army has said it intends to order 114.
Service Induction
The helicopter is likely to be certified in 2013, and inducted into the two services by 2014-15.
Developmental Challenges
The LCH is currently reported to be 580 kg over its target weight. HAL is struggling to trim the weight in order to keep the aircraft in compliance with the QRs.
The first Technology Demonstrator, named TD-1, is reported to be 400 kg heavier than planned.
HAL hopes to progressively reduce weight with future technology demonstrators.
We will find ways of cutting down TD-1 by 180-200 kg; TD-2, which will fly in mid-2010, will be another 100 kg lighter; and TD-3, which will be ready by end-2010, will shave off another 65-75 kg, Managing Director of HALs Helicopter Complex, R Srinivasan, told Business Standard in September.
When it enters service, the LCH will still be 200 kg in excess, a concession the IAF is willing to make.
Apache Longbow AH-64D:
Introduction
Boeing (AH64 D Apache Longbow) and Mil (Mi 28 Havoc) competed to supply 22 attack helicopters of 2.5t class to the IAF. The Mi 28 did not meet IAF requirements during flight trials. Boeing is currently the only contender in the field. The contract is estimated to be worth $550 million.
Procurement History
A $550 million-tender procure 22 attack helicopters to replace IAFs ageing Mi-25 and Mi-35 attack helicopter fleet was issued in 2008.
India scrapped the tender on March 25, 2009 because none of the three companies still in the fray met the qualitative requirements.
A fresh tender was floated in mid 2009 and seven companies were invited to bid. The contract, estimated to be worth $600 million, stipulates aircraft in the 2.5t-class and envisages an optional delivery of additional 22 helicopters.
Qualitative Requirements
The qualitative requirements are as follows
* Twin engine
* High maneuverability
* Anti armor capability
* All weather capability
* All terrain capability
The IAF wants these gunships to be highly-agile, have good armor protection and a 20mm caliber turret gun, as also be capable of firing 70mm rockets with a 1.2-km range and missiles with at least 7-km range.
The helicopters are likely to be equipped with an electronic warfare and self protection suite developed by EADS and India's Defense Avionics Research Establishment.
Contenders
Of the seven companies invited to bid, only one remains in the fray as detailed below.
* Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow
* Eurocopter Tiger
* AgustaWestland AW129
* Bell AH-1Z SuperCobra
* Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk
* Mil Mi-28
* HAL's Light Combat Helicopter
Eurocopter reportedly opted out of the race because the Tiger is undergoing upgrades and will not be available for trials in mid 2010 as required by the IAF.
Bell opted out of the race because its helicopter is still undergoing evaluation by the US Marine Corp.
HAL's Light Combat Hircraft, which is still underdevelopment, first took to the air in 2010.
Agusta Westland pulled out due to technical reasons.
Sikorsky pulled out due to time constraints and procedural bottlenecks within their country.
Mil's Mi-28 did not make the cut during flight trials.
Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow
General characteristics
Crew: 2 (pilot, and co-pilot/gunner)
Length: 58.17 ft (17.73 m) (with both rotors turning)
Rotor diameter: 48 ft 0 in (14.63 m)
Height: 12.7 ft (3.87 m)
Disc area: 1,809.5 ft² (168.11 m²)
Empty weight: 11,387 lb (5,165 kg)
Loaded weight: 17,650 lb (8,000 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 23,000 lb (10,433 kg)
Powerplant: 2× General Electric T700-GE-701 and later upgraded to T700-GE-701C (1990present) & T700-GE-701D (AH-64D block III) turboshafts, -701: 1,690 shp, -701C: 1,890 shp, -701D: 2,000 shp (-701: 1,260 kW, -701C: 1,490 kW, -701D: 1,490 kW) each
Fuselage length: 49 ft 5 in (15.06 m)
Rotor systems: 4 blade main rotor, 4 blade tail rotor in non-orthogonal alignment
Performance
Never exceed speed: 197 knots (227 mph, 365 km/h)
Maximum speed: 158 knots (182 mph, 293 km/h)
Cruise speed: 143 knots (165 mph, 265 km/h)
Range: 257 nmi (295 mi, 476 km) with Longbow radar mast
Combat radius: 260 nmi (300 mi, 480 km)
Ferry range: 1,024 nmi (1,180 mi, 1,900 km)
Service ceiling: 21,000 ft (6,400 m) minimum loaded
Rate of climb: 2,500 ft/min (12.7 m/s)
Disc loading: 9.80 lb/ft² (47.9 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.18 hp/lb (0.31 KW/kg)
Armament
Guns: 1× 30 × 113 mm (1.18 × 4.45 in) M230 Chain Gun with 1,200 rounds
Hardpoints: Up to 6 pylon stations on stub wing
Rockets: Hydra 70 air-to-ground rockets
Missiles: combination of AGM-114 Hellfire, AIM-9 Sidewinder, and AIM-92 Stinger
Trials
Competitive trials of the helicopters were held in Ladakh and Rajasthan and also in the US and Russia.
Boeing AH-64D Selected
India announced on Tuesday, October 25, 2011 that Boeing AH-64D had been selected to meet the IAF requirement.
An Indian Defense Ministry source said, We decided not to choose the Mi-28 for technical reasons. Our experts believe that the Mi-28N did not meet the requirements of the tender on 20 positions, while the Apache showed better performance.
In August 2012, TOI reported that India was poised to sign a $1.4 billion deal for the purchase of the 22 helicopters as also the supply of 812 AGM-114 L-3 Hellfire Longbow missiles, 542 AGM-114 R-3 Hellfire-II missiles, 245 Stinger Block I-92 H missiles and 12 AN/APG-78 fire-control radars. [via Economic Times]
News
Boeing AH-64D Bid Detailed
Flight magazine reported on January 4, 2011 that the US government had approved a direct commercial sale of the AH-64D Block III to India.
A notice issued by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on 27 December estimates that a direct commercial sale of 22 AH-64Ds, plus weapons, sensors, spares and training would cost about $1.4 billion.
According to the DSCA the sale will include 50 General Electric T700-701D engines, over 1,350 Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, 245 Raytheon Stinger missiles, 12 Lockheed/Northrop Grumman APG-78 fire control radars and 23 Lockheed modernised target acquisition designation sight/pilot night vision sensors.
Light Combat Aircraft (LCH):
Introduction
The 5.5-tonne twin engine LCH is a derivative of Dhruv ALH with tandem seating. The HAL developed LCH will supplement the 22 attack helicopters that India is seeking as part of an international tender.
At a Glance
The Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) is a derivative of Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv. It features tandem seating, instead of side by side as on the Dhruv, armor protection, and a glass cockpit.
Its Shakti engine, jointly developed by HAL and Turbomeca of France, has been optimized for high altitude operations.
Dimensions
Design Features
The machine is a Low Observable (LO) design with reduced visual, aural, radar and infra red signatures. It features canted panels for lower radar cross section and IR suppressor for low IR signature.
It has crashworthy landing gear for better survivability. The hingeless rotors and the powerful Shakti engines enable the easy manoeuvring of LCH even with weapons.
The following are some of the important design features of the helicopter
Hinge less Main Rotor
Anti-resonance vibration isolation system
Integraged dynamic system
Bearing less Tail Rotor
Shakti Engine with FADEC
Electronic Warfare (EW) Suite comprising Radar, Laser and Missile warning.
Glass Cockpit
Detachable stub wing for carrying armament
Armament includes Rockets, Missiles and 20 mm turret gun
Electro Optical Pod
LCH Survival Features
The following are the survival features on the Light Combat Helicopter
The engine exhausts are fitted with IR Suppressor
The pressurized cockpit features NBC Sensors
The crew seat is designed to protect the pilot during impact on crash
A narrow front fuselage protects the pilot from enemy ground fire
A flat front glass panel reduces glint
Front fuselage features armor protection on the sides
Fuselage bottom is crashworthy
The rear wheel of the tricycle undercarriage offers crash protection
Canted flat panels reduce RCS
Capabilities
Engine 2 x 895 kw Shakti Engines with FADEC derated to 798 kw
Weight (tons) 5.8
Max Speed
Kts 145
Kph 268
Ceiling
Feet 21325
Meters 6500
Range (km) 550
Max Oblique ROC (m/sec) 12
Armament 20mm turret twin-barrel gun
MBDA air-to-air missile
HELINA anti-tank missile
Cluster bombs
Rocket pods
EW Suite From SAAB, South Africa.
Avionics Helmet mounted sight developed in collaboration with Israel.
Self defense suite from Israel
FLIR
Armament
It will be armed with a 20mm turret twin-barrel gun, cluster bombs, rocket pods as well as air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles.
It has a chin-mounted canon along with the helmet mounted sighting system, which gives the pilot the capability to look and fire at targets around the aircraft.
The DRDO is reported to be developing the HELINA missile, a Nag derivative with an extended range of 7 km, to augment the helicopter's air-to-ground capability.
Advanced Rotor Design
Dr. Prasad Sampath, general manager of HAL's Rotary Wing Research & Design Center, told the press during Aero India 2011 that the LCH was probably the most agile design in the world because of its rotor'.
Avionics
Its advanced sensor suite, developed with the help of Israel, consists of CCD Camera, Forward looking infrared imaging technology and Laser range finder, facilitates target acquisition in all weather conditions and at night.
The EW suite has been procured from SAAB, South Africa.
The Helicopter would be fitted with a Data Link for network-centric operations facilitating the transfer of mission data to the other airborne platforms and ground stations operating in the network, thus facilitating the force multiplication.
Role
LCH is intended for use in air defense against slow moving aerial targets, destruction of enemy air defence operations, escort to special heliborne operations, support of combat search and rescue operations, anti-tank role and scout duties.
Designed for anti-tank and anti-infantry roles with a maximum speed of 275 kmph (148kt), it will also be capable of high-altitude warfare since its operational ceiling will be 16,000 to 18,000 feet (5,490m).
Orders
HAL has already bagged a firm order to deliver 65 LCH to the IAF and 114 to the Army, company sources told PTI in December 2009.
On April 5, 2011, Flight magazine reported that deliveries against the order will start in 2013-14.
Development Schedule
The first prototype of the Light Combat Helicopter was to make its maiden flight in March 2009. The landmark event was subsequently postponed to mid-August.
"We have completed the design. However, there was a problem with one of the vendors who was supposed to provide the tooling for the LCH, and so we have no choice but to push the first flight to August," said Ashok Baweja, HAL's chairman, during Aero India 2009.
The scheduled slipped further and the aircraft eventually flew for the first time on March 30. However, the flight, restricted to just a hover, was run up to the official first flight scheduled in April.
First Flight
First official flight test is scheduled for April 2010, though there will be several flight tests in the run up to the event.
"The first flight was perfect and we achieved all the intended objectives," said an HAL official who witnessed the flight on March 30.
First Official Flight
The LCH formally took to the skies in the presence of the Defence Secretary RK Singh, Vice Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal PK Barbora, Chairman HAL, Ashok Nayak and senior officials of Defence ministry and the forces at the HAL airport in Bangalore on May 23.
Chief Test pilot Unni Pillai and Hari Nair put up a spectacular flying display of the LCH on its maiden flight.
Second Prototype
The second prototype LCH - TD2 - was displayed at Aero India 2011. It started flying end June 2011.
According to HAL Chairman and Managing Director Ashok Nayak, the second LCH is a "considerable improvement" over the first prototype as HAL and DRDO scientists have been able to achieve substantial weight reduction.
"Not only that, the human and weapons payload capacity of the rotorcraft had already been exceeded than the parameters mandated by the Indian Air Force (IAF)," he told India Strategic defence magazine in July 2011.
The two prototypes had flown 76 hours by July 2011.
Third Prototype
A third prototype/tech demonstrator TD-3 is under fabrication as on August 2011, and will soon join the test program.
Initial Operational Clearance
LCHs initial operational clearance (IOC) was scheduled for December, 2011.
The LCH was begin its first off-base trials at sea-level in October 2011, followed by off-base hot weather and cold weather trials at high altitude in Ladakh.
Weapons trials will take place between the hot and cold weather trials.
On June 28, 2012, the Livefist blog reported that the LCH is set to undergo sea level trials at AF Station Tambaram starting June 29, 2012. The trials are planned to span 7 to 10 days.
Final Operational Clearance
HAL aims to finish flight testing by February 2013.
After achievement of IOC, the schedule for final operational clearance (FOC) will be formalized. After receipt of FOC, HAL will approach IAF for supply orders and the delivery schedule.
The IAF (primary customer) has confirmed a requirement of 65 units, while the Army has said it intends to order 114.
Service Induction
The helicopter is likely to be certified in 2013, and inducted into the two services by 2014-15.
Developmental Challenges
The LCH is currently reported to be 580 kg over its target weight. HAL is struggling to trim the weight in order to keep the aircraft in compliance with the QRs.
The first Technology Demonstrator, named TD-1, is reported to be 400 kg heavier than planned.
HAL hopes to progressively reduce weight with future technology demonstrators.
We will find ways of cutting down TD-1 by 180-200 kg; TD-2, which will fly in mid-2010, will be another 100 kg lighter; and TD-3, which will be ready by end-2010, will shave off another 65-75 kg, Managing Director of HALs Helicopter Complex, R Srinivasan, told Business Standard in September.
When it enters service, the LCH will still be 200 kg in excess, a concession the IAF is willing to make.
![[Bregs]](/data/avatars/m/148/148509.jpg?1491816884){kind=avatar}
