The Author is Former Director General of Information Systems and A Special Forces Veteran, Indian Army

On Friday, March 28, 2025, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the procurement of 156 Light Combat helicopters (LCH) 'Prachand' for the Army and the Air Force, costing ₹62,700 crore; the largest ever defence deal. Produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and France's Safran, LCH Pracahnd is powered by twin Shakti engines.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the procurement of 156 Light Combat helicopters (LCH) 'Prachand' for the Army and the Air Force, costing ₹62,700 crore; the largest ever defence deal

Being built at HAL's factory in Tumukru, Karnataka, 90 of these 156 LCH Prachand are meant for the Indian Army, while the remaining 66 will go to the Indian Air Force (IAF). The approval aims for over 65 per cent indigenous content. More than 250 indigenous companies, mostly small and medium businesses, will help build these helicopters, creating some 8,500 jobs in the India aerospace industries.

The absence of a LCH that could operate and land in high-altitude areas was felt during the 1999 Kargil Conflict. The Prachand helicopter is tailor-made for India's military in diverse terrains. It is the only attack helicopter that can land and take off at 5,000 meters (16,400 feet); ideal for areas like the Siachen Glacier. LCH Prachand is designed for both ground attacks and air battles, having stealth features, strong armour, ability to strike at night, advanced navigation, close-combat guns, and powerful air-to-air missiles. It can launch air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles. The helicopter has a speed of 288 kmph, combat range of 500 km, and can climb up to 21,000 feet.

The helicopter has low radar and heat signatures, plus crash-proof designs for better survival. Its package includes: 20mm nose gun that fires 800 rounds a minute and hits targets 2 km away; 70mm rockets on its wings, reaching 4 km directly or 8 km indirectly; electro-optical pod above the gun for day-and-night surveillance and tracking from afar; 'Dhruvastra' anti-tank missile and 'Mistral-2' air-to-air missile, both striking up to 6.5 km. Additionally, they have been integrated with data chips which gives them the ability to participate in network centric operations. The data chips enable LCH to operational cooperation and force multiplication practices.

LCH Prachand is a game-changer, marking a major step toward strengthening India's defence capabilities along its borders with China and Pakistan

HAL plans to build 30 helicopters each year, which is a big goal. If the deal is finalised in 2025, deliveries will begin in 2028. All 156 helicopters will be handed over within five years, so by 2033, the Indian Air Force and Army will have all their LCH Prachand choppers ready to go. LCH Prachand is a game-changer, marking a major step toward strengthening India's defence capabilities along its borders with China and Pakistan.

Notably, a very senior three-star veteran holds a contrary view on the employability of armed helicopters, which are vulnerable against adversaries possessing shoulder-fired missiles and now drones; they are more suitable against insurgents and the like. This is an important observation considering helicopters can no more venture close to the frontline in the Ukraine war, except for in emergencies, for this very reason. Moreover, China is acquiring one million loitering munitions by 2026.

We also need to take a call on our procurement process, which every time is talked of being improved, and sometimes talked of being the best. The LCH Prachand was formally inducted into the IAF in 2022 – four years back, having already proved its worth. Why then has it taken so long for the CCS to approve procurement of 156 of these helicopters? The deal may be signed shortly but why can't the private sector be roped in to accelerate the delivery of 156 LCH much before 2033?

It is apparent that the CCS could not delay approving the procurement of these 156 Prachand helicopters because India's fleet of 330 Advance Light Helicopters (ALH) 'Dhruv' has been grounded since January 2025 because of multiple crashes. The Indian Army has 96 ALH and 75 armed versions called 'Rudra'. The IAF operates around 70 ALH, with the Navy and the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) operating the rest. The ALH fleet was grounded when on January 5, an ALH Mk-III of the ICG crashed in Porbandar, Gujarat, killing all three crew members onboard. The investigation report was to be submitted by March 3, 2025 but was not submitted even by March 30. The ALH, heralded the best indigenous helicopter at the time of induction in the Indian Armed Forces, couldn't participate in Aero India 2025.

The ALH helicopters have experienced 28 crashes since induction in 2004; 13 times each due to technical faults and human error, and the remaining two because of unknown causes. ALH helicopters have been exported to Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, and Ecuador for military use. Turkey and Peru purchased the helicopter for civilian purposes. One ALH was leased to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). After a series of crashes, Ecuador grounded its fleet of ALHs, putting them up for sale and cancelled its order for more ALHs.

Though the HAL doesn't accept it, defence experts have opined that the ALH has design flaws, like: the swashplate assembly has no redundancy – swashplate translates the pilot's flight control inputs into the motion of the rotor blades, allowing for changes in pitch and roll; defects related to the control rod that affected power input to rotor blades and hydraulics issues – the control rod is essential for transferring power from the helicopters two engines to its overhead rotors.

In response, Pakistan is planning to procure Z-10ME attack helicopters from China; local assembly of the Z-10ME helicopters and integrating Turkish weaponry in them

Two pilots of the Indian Army were killed in a crash of ALH in Jammu and Kashmir on May 4, 2023, after reporting “loss of power”. The Indian Army grounded its fleet of 170 ALHs and undertook a comprehensive safety check. This was the third time that checks have been ordered since October 2022, when an Indian Army ALH MK IV variant had crashed near Migging in Arunachal Pradesh in October, killing all five on board. Amid the new that the HAL has decided to replace the aluminium control rod in some ALH with steel control rods, the question being raised is what is the accountability of the HAL and the DRDO in all these crashes - can they just get away by denying defects in the design of the ALH simply because they are state-owned organisations? Hopefully the LCH Prachand will not suffer similar defects and accidents like the ALH.

In response to the Indian Armed Forces being equipped with 156 LCH Prachand helicopters, Pakistan is planning to procure Z-10ME attack helicopters from China; local assembly of the Z-10ME helicopters and integrating Turkish weaponry in them. Pakistan is expected to receive the first batch of Z-10ME attack helicopters in 2025.