HAL LCH - India’s Indigenously Built Multirole Light Combat Helicopter

HAL LCH - India’s Indigenously Built Multirole Light Combat Helicopter.

HAL LCH During Test Flight. 

The Kargil war gives us much lessons to the IAF to conduct not only Armed Combat air patrol, but mean time support the Friendly Troops who is fighting against the enemy in tough conditions. So IAF put an requirement of Combat Helicopters building in India, The HAL taken the decision to make the dream into reality by flying first LCH prototype by 2010, within three years of program gets sanctioned by the Government. The Indian Air Force is to acquire 65 LCHs and Indian Army is to acquire 114 LCHs.

Overview

HAL LCH on Display During Aero India. 

The LCH is being designed to fit into an anti-infantry and anti-armour role and will be able to operate at high altitudes. It has a maximum weight of 5.5 tonnes, and has a service ceiling of 6,500 metres. The LCH design features a narrow fuselage with stealth profiling, armour protection, and will be equipped to conduct day-and-night combat operations. According to reports, the LCH features a digital camouflage system. The LCH has a two-crew cockpit.

The LCH is probably the most agile design in the world because of its rotor. HAL said LCH is of 5.5 tonne class, like the Dhruv, it is powered by two HAL/Turbomeca Shakti turbo-shaft engines and inherits many technical features of the Advanced Light Helicopter. The features that are unique to LCH are sleek and narrow fuselage, tri-cycle crashworthy landing gear, crashworthy and self-sealing fuel tanks, armour protection, nuclear, and low visibility features which make the LCH lethal, agile and survivable.

Cockpit and avionics

Cockpit of HAL LCH 

The LCH is to have a glass cockpit with multifunction displays, a target acquisition and designation system with FLIR, Laser rangefinder and laser designator. Weapons will be aimed with a helmet mounted sight and there will be an electronic warfare suite with radar warning receiver, laser warning receiver and a missile approach warning system. The two pilots in the LCH sit one behind the other, compared to side-by-side in the Dhruv.

The LCH's modern sensor suite, developed in cooperation with Israel, consists of a CCD Camera, forward-looking infrared imaging sensors and a laser range finder to facilitate target acquisition in all weather conditions, including at night.

The helicopter is to 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, facilitating force multiplication.

Roles

Armed LCH 

LCH is intended for use in air defence against slow moving aerial targets (e.g. aircraft and UAVs), Counter Surface Force Operation (CSFO), destruction of enemy air defence operations, escort to special heliborne operations (SHBO), Counter-insurgency operations (COIN), offensive Employment in Urban Warfare, support of combat search and rescue operations (SAR) operations, anti-tank role and scout duties.It will also be capable of high-altitude warfare (HAW) since its operational ceiling will be 6,000–6,500 metres (19,700–21,300 ft).

Testing

LCH During High Altitude Cold Weather Trail.

LCH During Hot Weather Trial.

• The cold weather trials of the LCH were carried out at Air Force Station, Leh in early 2015. The engine starts were satisfactory in the temperature of -18 °C at 4.1 km altitude. The flights were also carried out to assess high altitude performance and low speed handling.The trials covered engine starts with internal batteries after overnight cold soak at 3 km altitude and 4.1 km altitude.

• In June 2015, the LCH successfully completed hot weather flight trials at Jodhpur with temperatures from 39 to 42 °C. The flight testing covered 'temperature survey of engine bay and hydraulic system', 'assessment of performance', 'handling qualities and loads' at different 'all up weights', 'low speed handling' and 'height-velocity diagram establishment'.

• In September 2015, the hot and high altitude trials of LCH were conducted successfully. The third prototype (TD-3) was taken to Leh for testing. Hover performance, low speed handling capability at extreme heights and temperature along with landing at forward locations were tested. The helicopter became the first attack helicopter to land in Siachen. The helicopter landed at high altitude helipads at 13,600 feet to 15,800 feet.

• The LCH completed basic performance flight testing, outstation trials, and prototype TD-3 fired 70 mm rockets in its weaponized configuration. The Next trails are ATGM firing , Air to Air rocket firing & canon firing. Those trails weapon firing trials will be held during the middle of 2016.

Specifications 

Specifications of LCH.

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 15.8 m (51 ft 8 in)
• Rotor diameter: 13.3 m (43 ft 6 in)
• Height: 4.7 m (15 ft 4 in)
• Disc area: 136.85 m² (1,472 ft²)
• Max. takeoff weight: 5,800 kg (12,787 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × HAL/Turbomeca Shakti turboshaft, 1,067 kW 

Performance

• Never exceed speed: 330 km/h (178 knots, 207 mph)
• Maximum speed: 280 km/h (145 knots, 167 mph)
• Range: 700 km (297 nmi, 342 mi)
• Service ceiling: 6,500 m (21,300 ft)
• Disc loading: 39.59 kg/m² (8.23 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 327 W/kg (0.198 hp/lb)

Armament

Weopen configuration of LCH.

• Guns: 1 × 20 mm M621 cannon on Nexter THL-20 turret
• Hardpoints: 4 (two under each wing)
• Rockets: 4 × 70/80 mm rocket-pods.
• Missiles: 4 × two-round MBDA Mistral air-to-air missiles, anti-radiation, and 2 × four-round Helina, LAHAT anti-tank missiles.
• Bombs: 4 × 250 kg (550 lb) bombs including Gravity bombs, cluster bombs and grenade launchers.

Thanks for Reading. Like Our Facebook Page (Click here) For Daily Updates & Feel Proud to Share the article. 

Source : Wikipedia  (HAL LCH article)